A Journey to the Past
by Shinryudan
Summary: When Natsu is defeated on the way back from a mission by a strange foreign wizard, he brings back a letter. The letter is the key that will help Natsu discover his long-lost past, sending him on a long journey. Rated T for possible language and semi-explicit content. Loose crossover; refers to elements from FFX, with one-time appearances of characters. NOT A BIG CROSSOVER AU and OC
1. The Letter

_Disclaimer: I don't own Fairy Tail._

Natsu walked into the guild hall one day with a saturnine look on his face. This was most unlike his typically cheerful disposition, so naturally, everyone in the guild was concerned. Happy had a concerned look on his face. Wendy went up to Natsu to ask what was wrong.

"Natsu, are you OK? Did something happen on the last mission?" she said.

"It's nothing, Wendy. Except I had my ass handed to me for the first time since that battle with Future Rogue." he said glumly.

"He's really upset, even though the mission was completed and we collected the reward money." Happy said.

Gray and Erza looked shocked, because as one of Fairy Tail's newest S-Class wizards (made one on account of his performance during and after the Grand Magic Games) and one the guild's strongest outright, Natsu was hardly one to admit defeat, as it seldom happened.

"Who the hell beat you, fire brain!?" Gray demanded.

"I don't know who he was, but he left Gramps a letter." Natsu said.

Happy pulled the roll of paper from Natsu's pack. Showing the letter to Mirajane, Happy said that it was a handwritten letter but was unsigned.

Mira delivered the letter to Makarov. The news of Natsu's defeat created a quietude unnatural to the Fairy Tail guild hall. It continued until a yell issued from the Master's office.

"Natsu, come up here right now!" he said.

It was rare for the Makarov to ever lose his composure and panic as he did. It was equally uncommon for Makarov to have to call anyone to his office.

Natsu went up to Makarov's office, and for a moment, the guild went back to its usual bustling self. Several teams departed on quests, leaving the guild somewhat empty. Only Erza, Gray, Lucy, Mira, Wendy, and a few others remained.

When Natsu came down from Makarov's office, everybody looked to him, expecting to find out what happened.

"The old man's got a special job for us. The letter was an order to the Master from someone he knows, but won't tell us who. It says that he has to go meet this guy, but the Master wants Erza, Gray, Juvia, Lucy, Wendy, and me to escort him." Natsu said quietly.

Erza wore a pensive look on her face.

"In my whole time at Fairy Tail, there has never been a time when the Master has needed an escort. But we cannot ignore this task. All of you, prepare to depart." she said.

Each member Makarov requested prepared themselves for a journey to the neighboring country of Elorien, a vast empire to the east, that had conquered seven countries around it in the time that the Tenrou Team was gone.

On the train to the border, Makarov explained that the man who had defeated Natsu was none other than the Crown Prince of Elorien, Sorian, and he had been sent on a diplomatic mission to fetch Makarov for an audience with the Emperor of Elorien, Rizael.

"But why would he beat up Natsu?" Gray asked.

"He said he just needed a way to loosen up. That he was out of shape. Just pickin' a fight as far as I can tell." Natsu said, while green from motion sickness.

"Master Makarov, what connection does the emperor have to Fairy Tail or Natsu?" Juvia asked.

"In my young days, under the leadership of Guild Master Precht, Fairy Tail had received a request from the Emperor, the first cross-national request ever, so it had to approved by the government and Magic Council. In Elorien, there was prophecy that a descendant of the current Emperor would be stolen away. It was said he would come to harbor a dragon's flames in his soul. The request of the Emperor was that Fairy Tail's master, if the guild found the child, raise it as his own, and when the time came, to return him to the land of his birth." Makarov explained.

"But that doesn't explain why you have to go to Elorien. Did you find the child? I mean, if the child was kidnapped as a little kid, he'll be around our age." Lucy said.

Natsu tossed around restlessly, and it appeared to be more than just motion sickness.

"Natsu, why don't you just sleep through the ride? We won't be there for a few hours and my Troia spell doesn't work anymore." Wendy suggested.

"Fine..." Natsu said listlessly.

The request was still a mystery to the group, and Makarov remained tight-lipped about anymore details regarding it. Lucy ruminated the possibility of one of them, aside from herself, being the lost child. She imagined that it was the only reason the Emperor would have requested Makarov's presence.

When the train finally stopped, Lucy woke Natsu up. Juvia, Gray and Erza covered Makarov's rear as Wendy, Natsu, and Lucy took the front. The group traveled to the post that monitored travel across the border. When they arrived, a man carried on a palanquin by his four guards was waiting for them.

The man stepped off of his palanquin. He was tall and well built, toned by years of battle training, and the group could sense immense magical power coming from him. He had shiny black hair, lightly tanned skin, and very dark brown (nearly black) eyes, that flashed an ocean blue.

"Allow me to introduce myself, although Mr. Dragneel has already made my acquaintance. I apologize for the little spat a few days ago. My name is Sorian, Crown Prince of Elorien." he said, giving a bow.

"Just shut up, you bastard." Natsu said curtly.

"My apologies, my lord. This young one is still bitter from his defeat at your hands." Makarov said.

"Oh no, anyone would be. Especially the infamous Natsu Dragneel, son of Igneel, and mighty Dragon Slayer." Sorian said, with a note of narcissism.

"If you would please, Prince Sorian, do inform us why the Emperor has sent for the Master?" Erza asked.

"My father, the Emperor has called for your Master for personal reasons. Reasons which I cannot disclose due to the fact I do not know. We shall see, upon arrival in the capital." Sorian said.

With that, he summoned a floating transport, propelled by nothing. And thus, began the journey to the capital of Elorien, Uraliat, where a certain person's past lay in waiting.


	2. Uraliat, Where Memories are Found

_Disclaimer: I don't own Fairy Tail._

The ride to the capital of Elorien was long and tiresome, yet did not evoke Natsu's motion sickness, for some unknown reason. Upon arriving at the capital, the group, save for Makarov, was awestruck.

The city was a brilliant silver, with streaks of blue and green. It was like a ring inlaid with sapphires and emeralds. The lower city was a combination of ebony steel and gold. The homes of civilians levitated on blue and gold disks. In fact, the entire city was floating above a crater in the ground, a bottomless abyss. The Diamond Palace, where the Imperial family resided, was clearly visible, surrounded by a magical barrier, and sparkling like the diamond jewel itself.

As they reached the gate of the city, a floating carriage awaited them. Sorian gestured for them to get in. He explained that he needed to avoid causing a commotion in the city, as it might be unsightly.

The ride to the palace allowed the group to collect their thoughts. Natsu, however, began to squirm internally. It held a sense of nostalgia, as though he'd been there before.

"My head hurts..." Natsu said.

"Relax, Natsu. I'm sure its nothing bad. Maybe you just have a slight fever coming on." Wendy said.

By the time they had arrived at the palace, it was very late at night. The Emperor would be fast asleep, along with everyone who was important in the palace. Servants, who were taking care of cleaning, and guards were still around, however. Sorian retired to his prince's quarters, and ordered the servants to show the guests to their rooms.

Through the entire journey, Makarov had remained silent, and pensive. He had been thinking about what to do when he was going to meet the Emperor the following morning. He had never met the man in person before, only having exchanged letters with him. Deciding to put these thoughts away, Makarov went to bed.

While everyone had departed for bed, Natsu wandered from the group to explore the castle. Even though Natsu had been gloomy from the start of the journey, Makarov wasn't right about him being upset over losing to Sorian. At least, not completely. Since that fight, he had been getting vague flashes of memories he hadn't recalled before. They calmed him and the castle made him feel at home.

Just then, he had another memory flash. There was a little boy in a room with red walls. He had pink hair, and reminded Natsu of himself as a boy.

He kept walking down the hall, until he came to a door with the crest of the Emperor on it. A pair of dragon wings attached to a spear on the up side and a scepter on the down side. It looked vaguely familiar, and Natsu pushed the door open.

Inside was a gallery of paintings of the past Emperors and their consorts. On the rightmost side, was a portrait of the current Emperor and his wife. The man was stately, well-built, and kind-looking man. Emperor Rizael bore the face of a man with wisdom, and one who had experienced his fair share of life's woes. His hair was black like his son Sorian as well as his general aesthetic features.

Unlike other things in the palace, Natsu's memories were almost not reacting to seeing the portrait of him. However, it was different with the woman next to him. Her hair was long and the color of a pink rose. She was stunningly beautiful, and her soft, loving, and benevolent face caused a surge of memories in Natsu's mind. It was so much, he almost collapsed.

The memory this time was of the Empress leading the pink-haired boy from his previous flash down a hall to the room with red walls. She put him in a crib in the room, and kissed his forehead.

"Mama..." he said quietly.

"Never forget: you are the fire that drives our family to continue on. We live to protect you and each other. Good night, my little flame, and always remember that I love you." she said.

"Mama, don't go... Stay..." the boy said weakly as his mother closed the door with a smile on her face.

The flash ended. Natsu left the gallery, and continued down the hall, and wandered into a room with a red door, adorned with filigree that detailed dragons breathing fire. He saw a small bed for a child, but then fell asleep, resting his head on the pillow.


	3. Returning the Past

_Disclaimer: I don't own Fairy Tail._

Morning came, and with it, the time for the Fairy Tail wizards' audience with the Emperor Rizael of Elorien.

Lucy and Wendy awoke first, and went to fetch Gray and Juvia. Although, when Wendy peeked into their room, Juvia was sleeping contently with Gray. In the same bed, in fact. Wendy told Lucy that it was probably a better idea to leave them alone for a while. Especially as vigorous rustling noises began to be heard from inside.

Makarov and Erza met up with Lucy and Wendy outside Gray and Juvia's room.

"Where is Natsu?" Makarov asked.

"Wendy and I think he came to the room late last night, and woke up very early. So he must be wandering around the castle right now." Lucy said.

"That idiot! The Emperor will be most displeased at his lack of decorum! Master, we must find him before he destroys something!" Erza said.

Makarov closed his eyes and shook his head. "Wandering around this place will be more important for him than you know." he said gravely.

In the room with red walls, Natsu lay sleeping on the bed. Just then, the door opened, where a woman with long pink hair, and a face worn from sorrow yet somehow retained its kindness and beauty, stood. Standing in the doorway was the Empress of Elorien, Farienne III. her eyes open with a combination of surprise and disbelief. A boy with pink hair, just like the son she was robbed of so many years ago, was standing right in front of her! She reached out to his back, for her power similar to that of Memory Make, only she could also read and use the memories of others as well.

She reached into the recesses of this boy's mind, and saw his past. The cheerful little boy she once knew lived in this one. Her little flame had been fanned and was now a powerful blaze. For the first time in many years since the disappearance of her son, that she wept with tears of joy. She embraced her long-lost son in the folds of her flowing white and red dress laced with gold.

Meanwhile, Natsu dreamt. Or at least, he thought he was. Memories began flowing into him, but they weren't his. A woman's mind was connected with himself. He saw a little boy with black hair playing with the pink haired boy. They were laughing together, watched over by two adults who Natsu took to be their parents. They bore remarkable resemblances to the Emperor and Empress in the portrait, only younger and happier people.

"Papa, why are the people in other countries so scared of dragons? The dragons in Elorien are really friendly! They taught us magic, right?" the pink-haired boy.

"That's right. In our country, dragons taught us the ways of civilization and magic, and we owe it to them. In other countries, progress was slow. People feared dragons, because, long ago, a dragon called Acnologia laid waste to their lands. One day, you'll go to retrieve the Dragon's Heart, and become a real prince. Always remember what dragons have given us. Maybe one day, you'll meet a real dragon." the Emperor said.

"Why don't dragons live near us?" the little boy asked again.

"That's because they don't like being around people, right, Mama?" Sorian said.

"We like to say that. But there is a deeper reason than that. You'll understand when you're older." his mother said.

The memory shifted to the Empress putting her younger son to bed in his crib and bidding him good night, the memory from before. And then, it shifted again. The room was dark, illuminated only by the moonlight. The window was open, and the wind blew in through it. The woman was bent over the crib in tears, comforted by her husband.

"Our son has been spirited away, as foretold in the prophecy!" Farienne cried.

"Farienne, we shall find him. I promise you. No matter how long it takes, I will bring Natsu back to us." Rizael said soothingly.

The realization was shocking and Natsu was speechless. And then, the memory changed. Natsu was in the back of a cart, bound and gagged. A trio of wizards from Fiore had kidnapped him from his room in the Diamond Palace while he was asleep. They planned to hold him for ransom money from the Emperor and Empress.

Just then, the cart hit a bump in the road, and the cart fell off the path, into the river below a suspension bridge. Natsu blacked out before they made impact only hearing the water splashing and the dying shrieks of horses and the men.

When Natsu woke up, he was surprisingly unwounded; only a bruise and a few cuts. Natsu's red pajama shirt was torn beyond recognition, so he took it off. As his vision came back into focus, he was absolutely terrified. The three kidnappers were impaled by the rocks of the river, and the horses drowned somewhere along the way. Miraculously, he had survived. Then, he began to cry. For his parents, his brother, and more importantly, himself.

Now the memory was familiar. Natsu was wandering the fields of Fiore, looking for a town or someone to help him. He didn't know what to do. He then came upon a cave, which, for some reason, was filled with food, books, and other things. His heart soared with hope, not only for having found food and shelter, but also a place where someone might be living.

Natsu waited for hours, taking little bits of food every now and then. There was a torch in the cave, so he started a small fire to keep warm. As night fell, he fell asleep, dreaming of that which he hadn't remembered before: going back home to his family.

The next morning, Natsu was still alone, and began wandering around the nearby forest. He was fascinated by the colorful birds and small animals, and terrified of the Forest Vulcans that lurked around. He tried making a fishing pole, as he had seen people do in the books his father read to him. He found a worm, and started fishing. Natsu waited for three hours, until he got a bite. He pulled out a relatively large salmon, which was more than enough for him.

He didn't know how to cook the salmon, so he started walking back to the cave. Getting tired, he sat down on a rock, and set his salmon beside him. He stared up at the sky, seeing birds flying freely.

"I wanna go home... I wanna see Mama and Papa again..." Natsu said, almost about to cry.

When he got up off the rock, he noticed that his salmon had been stolen. He felt miserable, having worked very hard for that fish. He continued walking back to the cave, and upon arriving, it was nearly dusk. Natsu was hungry, and thought to himself that he was going to have piece of steak from the stores.

However, when he looked inside the cave, there was a gargantuan, crimson, scaly mass there. It was a dragon, and it was searching for something. Unlike most people, who would have fled, Natsu had been taught to revere dragons, and instead drew closer, calling for its attention.

"Um, Mr. Dragon, sir?" Natsu said tentatively.

The dragon's massive head turned around to see who was calling to it. The dragon's voice echoed in Natsu's mind.

"_So you are the one who has gone through my stores, and left the stench of humans in my abode._" he said in a deep, but calm voice. He wasn't angry.

"I was taken from my room, sir, and when I got the binds off of me, I was at the river." Natsu said.

"_A human child, kidnapped? You are unlike most humans, boy. Most run in terror, but you do not fear me, do you? What is your name?_" he said.

"My name is Natsu, the second prince of Elorien! Or at least, not yet. I have to pass the Trial first. But I have to go home, and I don't know how..." the little boy said.

"_You interest me, Natsu... But I cannot return you home. I am unable to leave this land, for I have a duty to protect it._" the dragon said.

"Then... can I stay with you until I can go home on my own?" Natsu asked.

"_If that is what you wish. You are what I desire humans in this land could be: willing to co-exist with dragons, rather than fear them. By raising you as my own young dragon, perhaps people shall learn to do so. Know that being a dragon is hard, and you will have to work equally hard in order to aspire to your potential and beyond. I shall name you Natsu Dragneel, and you shall call me Igneel._" he said.

"I didn't understand all of that, sir, but I'll do my best!" Natsu said with a grin.

And then the flashback ended. It would be a few months later when Natsu would fall on his head, causing him amnesia, particularly regarding his past in Elorien. Natsu forgot all about his family, and also lost his sensibilities as a nobleman, becoming hot-headed, rough, and unabashedly passionate in everything he did.

**_Note: I apologize if it sounds disconnected, but it is meant to flow between different points of view, and it's just a waste of space to make a mark every time it changes, and hopefully you get it by now. I'd also appreciate some more reviews, please! Thanks._**


	4. Farewell, But Not Goodbye

_Disclaimer: I don't own Fairy Tail._

"Awaken, my little flame. Your mother is calling to you." a soft, maternal voice echoed inside Natsu's ears.

Natsu awoke slowly, finding himself in the lap of a woman he somewhat recognized. Her hair was the color pink-roses, and she smiled down at him with unconditional affection. As his vision came into focus, her face became more defined. Natsu somehow recognized this woman was not only the Empress, but his mother.

"Mama...?" he said sleepily.

Farienne squeezed her son more tightly, having been reunited after twenty-two years of sadness and grief.

"Yes, Natsu, it's Mama... After so many years, you've come back to us... Fairy Tail honored our request." she said.

Meanwhile, Makarov and the rest of the group were led into the dining room to meet with the Emperor, as he was seeing no officials to have meet in the throne room.

"It is good to see you in person, Lord Dreyar." the Emperor said.

"Please dispense with the title, your eminence. I have not been to my homeland in many years, so I have no right to be called Lord of that place." Makarov said.

"I see... Tired of politics, perhaps? And relegated yourself to a Guild Master in Fiore? Although it is quite cold in Svenar." Rizael said.

"Yes... they only call me when they need a major decision, which has not been in many, many years. Also, we appreciate the large spread you have given us for this morning's breakfast." Makarov said.

Indeed, there was a magnificent spread of fruits, vegetables, Elorienne (meaning of Elorien) dishes, and other things they couldn't imagine having in Fiore.

"Please excuse my impatience, your eminence, but we must discuss the matter at hand." Makarov said.

"Indeed," he said, gesturing for the guard to fetch the Empress, and then, "we shall discuss this matter, once my wife arrives. This is of great importance to her especially."

The group waited, and ate in silence. Even Juvia stopped her fawning over Gray, so as to respect the Emperor. After a few minutes, the Empress walked in, followed by Natsu.

"Natsu, where were you? We've been wondering since morning!" Gray said, then quickly asking Rizael for pardon.

"I was doing a little bit of exploring..." Natsu said absent-mindedly, as though he hadn't really heard the question.

After everyone had sat down, Lucy noticed that Natsu hadn't eaten anything. Something must have been bothering him to prevent him from eating. She did love him, after all. It was natural that she cared about him.

Lucy whispered to Natsu, "What were you doing with the Empress? Don't you know who she is?"

"Trust me. I know exactly who she is." he said, setting his head on the table. He cracked a small smile, which faded almost instantly.

Makarov cleared his throat and began. "As you all know, we have come to the Elorienne capital of Uraliat on the summons of Emperor Rizael. He has informed me that the Trial of the Dragon approaches for the son he lost twenty-two years ago to a band of kidnappers. I was pleased to inform him that Fairy Tail is now able to honor the request that Emperor Arael made to Second Guildmaster Precht."

"Then who is it?" Erza asked.

Makarov's heart pounded as he let out a sigh of both relief and sadness. With what he was about to say, one of his children would be lost forever, and he might never see him again. But he was also happy, to reunite a family that was broken for twenty-two years. "_They deserve to have him back,_" Makarov thought.

"Upon this day, I return to his eminence, Emperor Rizael, the second-born prince: Natsu Dragneel." Makarov said.

Everyone looked on in shock, but Lucy was the most caught off guard. Her heart suddenly sank, at the thought she'd never see the man who brought her to Fairy Tail and made her life come so far again. Natsu would be royalty, and he would probably marry other royalty. That made her even sadder.

"Please excuse me, your eminence." Lucy said, as she left the room.

Natsu looked on with a face that reflected a combination of pain and understanding. His life was about to change, even though he was going back to the life he was supposed to have.

Makarov explained that Natsu would be leaving Fairy Tail, as he could no longer stay with them in Magnolia anymore, nor could he stray from his princely duties.

The group shook hands, embraced, and cried. Erza and Gray said they would miss having him on their team. Team Natsu was breaking apart. Even Juvia admitted she would miss seeing him around the guild. Wendy cried profusely, knowing that her fellow Dragon Slayer was leaving them. However, Happy, perhaps, shed the most tears. His best friend during the entirety of his life, was forced to leave him.

"I'm gonna miss you, little buddy." Natsu said, patting the blue Exceed's head.

"Aye, sir..." Happy said, managing not to choke on his own tears.

Meanwhile, in the her guest room, Lucy wept into the pillow, soaking its coverings. She didn't want him to leave. She needed him to be by her side, to support her as he always did. But she knew his family needed him too. She was torn apart between begging Natsu to stay, and accepting that he belonged in Elorien.

Rizael promised Makarov that Natsu would be well taken care of and thanked him for raising his son thus far. The two retreated to a private room to discuss Natsu's more recent past, how he had changed from the polite and playful child he once was.

Sorian embraced Natsu, welcoming his brother back to his rightful place. Natsu felt a strange warmth as his brother's strong arms squeeze him tightly. He felt at home, that he belonged. They talked about each other, and found that Sorian could use Dragon Slayer Magic as well, not to mention other magic. According to the Crown Prince, it was more common for people to be Dragon Slayers than in Fiore, although they were called Drachiae (singular: Drachius) in Elorien. It was usually only highly proficient wizards, however, that went to the mountains to train with the dragons.

Gray and Natsu bumped elbows, bidding each other farewell. "I'm gonna miss having scraps with you, man. Crazy pyro." Gray said jocularly.

"You too, freaking stripper." Natsu said.

Naturally, Erza crushed Natsu in her embrace, still wearing her armor. Her usual histrionic reaction was genuinely appropriate this time.

Wendy hugged Natsu tightly, never wanting to let go. She said she'd write, and even visit, if she could. Carla assured Natsu she'd take care of Happy. (Quick note: I apologize for bringing in Carla now. I kind of assumed that most people would know she's with Wendy all the time.) At least Natsu would know that his best friend would be in good hands.

All the while, Natsu's mind wandered to Lucy. She had run out the dining room when she heard the news. He knew it must be hard for her, but he also knew that there was something more beyond that. Natsu knew that somewhere in his heart, he yearned for her company. Countless times, he'd lost his senses over what happened to Lucy: the Phantom Lord attack, being turned to stone in the Thunder Palace incident, and most recently, the Grand Magic Games. While he cared about all his guildmates with the same familial affection, Lucy occupied a special place in his heart, although he had only recently become aware of it. And thus, he went to talk to her.

When Natsu walked in, Lucy's face was weary from crying, and her eyes drained of color, as though something had died inside of her.

"Lucy... Come on, talk to me. I'm sorry this happened. I didn't know until recently." he said soothingly.

"But... does that mean you have to leave Fairy Tail? That you have to leave everyone behind, because this is where you were born and you need to attend to your princely duties? Is that really so much more important than us!?" she screamed.

"My family needs me. My real family is here. Fairy Tail will always live in me, because I can never forget what we went through together. But you should know what it means to be with your family." he said gravely.

Lucy knew what he meant. Although she was estranged from her father for many years, she knew the importance of family, especially after returning from Tenrou Island. That had reaffirmed the special place that her deceased parents occupied in her heart. Everyone had parents to look up to. Sure, Erza and Gray had been separated from theirs, but they remembered them. Natsu, for twenty-two years, couldn't even remember where his family was.

"Promise me you'll write, then. Every week, write to me, and tell me how your life is." she said.

As she tried to leave the room, Natsu grabbed her wrist, pulling her close, and kissing her. Lucy was surprised, but accepted the blissful moment.

"I'll never forget you. Ever." he said.


	5. A Proposal

_Disclaimer: I don't own Fairy Tail._

Timeframe: 4 Years Later - There are letters exchanged between Natsu and Lucy.

_Dear Natsu,_

_Ever since you left Fairy Tail four years ago, things have quieted down at the guild, but it's still crazy as ever. Your absence is palpable, and everyone misses you. We hope that your life in Elorien is a happy one. Tell me about what's happened recently! I'm sure everyone will want to know._

_Although, I should probably tell you some things that have changed in your absence. Happy and Carla moved to the Exceed settlement near Magnolia. They got married there! So don't worry about Happy. _

_Wendy has grown up a lot, both in mind and body. She's caught the eye of Romeo now, although she doesn't seem to react to that. Although I guess that's what you can expect from a seventeen-year old boy. Reedus was surprised. _

_Gray and Juvia got married too, about a year after you left. They also had a baby girl! Little Glacia is toddling around the guild, playing with Asuka. Speaking of Alzack and Bisca, they have another baby on the way. Hopefully, if you can visit, we can meet up again._

_Erza is still unmarried, but its widely rumored that she's been with Jellal, who was absolved of his crimes for his work in Crime Sorcière. She's since retired to fewer quests, and usually stays in her new house, which she built with her immense savings, near the ocean behind Fairy Tail. She says she likes the ocean breeze. _

_Sabertooth is still the number two guild in Fiore, with Fairy Tail at the top. We've won the Grand Magic Games every time since you left. Lamia Scale and Blue Pegasus are also still pretty high up. Dark guilds are still around, although they cause a little less trouble. _

_Everybody's grown up a lot, and things have changed. Gajeel and Levy got engaged recently. I, much to the amusement of Aquarius, am still single. But you probably knew that. I still miss and love you. My heart aches when I think about how you're not with me on missions. Write back soon._

_Love,_

_Lucy Heartfilia_

Natsu read the letter with keen interest. He was happy for Gray and Happy, intending to congratulate them via letter. Just then, Sorian called Natsu. It was time for the two princes' sparring match against their father.

The two princes put on their sparring gear, which for Natsu was just his old gear from Fairy Tail. He wore Igneel's scarf no matter what, though. Sorian had adopted a similar set of gear, with white and gold color scheme, along with the imperial crest.

The non-sleeved side of the shirt exposed Natsu and Sorian's tattoos, which were both proof of their lineage and marks of mastery in different kinds of magic. A new circle would be filled every time a mark was granted by a master of the art. Natsu had filled four circles, now a master of not only Fire Dragon Slayer Magic, but also Solar Magic, Chaos Magic, and Aural Magic. Sorian had mastered more than eight disciplines, having tattoos on both arms. However, Rizael himself was more impressive, because he had mastered all disciplines currently known, earning him the title of the Imperial Sage. Due to the immense strain it would place on his body, Rizael only used five magic disciplines at once, storing the rest in a separate space, rather similar to Re-quipping.

Duels between wizards were regular events in Elorien, and especially in Uraliat. People were fond of friendly battles between wizards, not to mention it increased the number of potential soldiers that could be drafted at any given time.

Sparring matches also had spectators, although usually fewer. However, since the second prince's return matches between the Emperor and his sons had become quite popular, selling out very quickly.

The two brothers rushed to the arena where matches were usually conducted. Natsu and Sorian, as they walked out onto the field, received an uproar of cheers, especially from young Elorienne women. Rizael stood on the other end, clad in a semi-armor coat, and his katana sheathed.

"Lord Riamat of the House of Jadis will be the presiding referee." an announcer called out over the sound lacrima.

"Combatants, take your positions!" Riamat said.

"Are you boys ready to lose again?" Rizael said jocularly.

"Don't underestimate us, Father. We've been training for years now." Natsu said.

As a person, Natsu had changed very little, although his combative and competitive spirit was significantly more contained. He was more polite than he used to be, and more intelligent, yet remained a somewhat oblivious person. Sorian admired Natsu's spirit, although he knew his brother shouldn't be so impulsive.

Rizael unsheathed his sword, and his eyes flashed blue, indicating his being ready to fight.

"Begin!" Riamat called, and the combatants rushed at each other.

"Chaos Magic: Burst Impulse!" Natsu said.

A pulse of red and black energy went through the ground, meaning to put his father into the air, where Sorian could get to him.

However, Rizael then said, "Aural Magic: Barrier of Four Suns."

The sunlight beaming down on the arena was then concentrated into a barrier that deflected the pulse, breaking two walls of the arena.

"You have grown strong, Natsu. A significant improvement from four years ago. But unfortunately, you'll have to spend a few more years training before you can put me in a bind, my son." Rizael said tauntingly.

Sorian then appeared behind his father and chanted, "Ancient Seal Magic: White Stigma!"

Sorian was able to get his father's back, imprinting a white seal on him. The white seal ensured any of Sorian's Light Magic would hit its target, or at least follow it.

"Sorian, I think its time I pulled out the thing I've been working on for the last few months." Natsu said.

"Are you a fool? It costs too much to be worth it! You nearly bled to death last time!" Sorian said.

It was true. Natsu had been working on a sort of summoning magic that was similar to summoning Celestial Spirits. However, the versions in Elorien were called Aureals. To make a contract with one, it was necessary to offer something of oneself in exchange. Natsu, however, had offered his Aureal something else: his body as a vessel. The soul of the ancient dragon Bahamut lived inside Natsu.

It was during Natsu's Trial of the Dragon. It was a challenge issued to the princes of the Empire to prove their worth as heirs to the imperial legacy as well as their worth to dragons in order to be taught. The test was to learn something from dragons, and Natsu took it to the next level by allowing an ages-old dragon's soul into his heart. That was the mark of his worth to dragonkind.

"Destroyer of the world, and father of dragons, bring yourself from the depths of my soul, and lend me your power!" Natsu said.

From Natsu's mouth a blue fire issued forth, forming the shape of dragon in the air. When the flames dissipated, a dragon with red and blue wings and a gold-laced black body appeared. (Quick Note: While technically not a crossover, this dragon is supposed to look like Bahamut from Final Fantasy X. _Disclaimer: I don't own Final Fantasy X_. It think it's one of the better dragons I've seen, so I use it a lot. I won't use any other FFX content in this fanfiction. I will write the disclaimer every time from now on.) The crowd gasped in awe.

"So the dragon has emerged..." Rizael whispered to himself.

"So you managed to get it without cutting yourself up this time. Show me that it can do something now!" Sorian said, as he launched Holy Magic: Divine Burst.

Natsu hopped onto the golden and used that as his seat from which he began to let loose with Fire Dragon Slayer Magic.

"_Bahamut, prepare Impulse! Fire when I use Roar of the Fire Dragon!_" Natsu said telepathically.

"_Readying the blasts, Natsu._" Bahamut replied.

"Roar of the Fire Dragon!" Natsu said, letting loose with the torrent of powerful flames.

The flames began to merge with black energy spheres that launched an attack called Impulse. The energy fused with the flames, creating a black tornado of flames that crackled with blue lightning.

Sorian barely made it out of the way in time to avoid getting hit by Natsu's blast along with their father. The latter took the full brunt, trying to block it with his sword. The two let their guard down, and Natsu even dismissed Bahamut. The two brothers neared the place where their father was.

"Watch where you aim next time, brother. And I think you took it a little overboard." Sorian said critically.

The area of impact was shrouded in smoke. The crowd looked on in amazement, some vocally speculating that it might be the two brothers' first victory.

"Do not underestimate me, my sons. You are far from having won." Rizael said.

Upon the smoke clearing, it was revealed that Rizael had absorbed Natsu's attack to an extent, having visible but minimal injuries. Rizael's katana was charged with the energy from Impulse, and then took the opportunity to get both Sorian and Natsu while they were distracted by their father's feat.

"Blade Arcana: Amorphous Blade: Impulsive Heart!" he said.

Rizael lashed out with a flurry of elegant slashes that destroyed them. The ground was equally devastated by the attack with craters that scintillated with energy. The attack itself was unique, having been formed from the energy from an oncoming attack, and a personal invention by the Emperor himself.

"The match goes to Emperor Rizael!" Riamat said from the announcer's box, while the crowd went up in cheers.

The two brothers returned to the palace to have their injuries treated, dejected from having lost for the umpteenth time to their father.

"Your magic is still too destructive and impulsive! Just calm down and think rationally for once!" Sorian said to Natsu.

"So what! That's how its always been! No one ever cared before!" Natsu said.

"Maybe at Fairy Tail, but not here in Elorien!" Sorian said, a comment that induced a period of silence.

Natsu allowed the nurse to finish bandaging him, and then walked out in a huff. He decided to return to his room, and write a reply to Lucy's letter. However, he was interrupted by a knock at the door.

"May I come in?" Natsu's mother, Farienne said.

Natsu had to admit that his mother was very beautiful for her age. Her dresses that flowed in large folds seemed to emphasize her radiant appearance.

"I assume you're writing a letter to your Fairy Tail friends?" she said.

"Yes, Mother..." Natsu said.

"You know, you're twenty-six years old now. You need to think about... starting a family somewhere." she said.

"We've had this conversation before, Mother. I can't marry anyone but her. Lucy is the only woman I've ever loved. And what's this about _somewhere_? As opposed to here?" Natsu said.

"You know very well that Sorian will inherit the throne. As a prince, you need to marry a woman of high standing." she said.

Suddenly, Natsu had an idea. It was a proposal to the court that he would present that evening. He would do everything in his power to be close to her again. Or he would die trying, alone.

Natsu asked his mother to leave, so he could work on the proposal. He worked furiously, finishing just before dinner, before the court meeting. He had to work on his diplomatic language, but he knew he could get his point across.

The servant outside the door called for Natsu, telling him that it was time to eat with his family. She then led Natsu to the dining room, as he carried the paper with the proposal on it.

"Natsu, what do you plan to do with your future?" Rizael said.

"I'm sorry, but what do you mean?" Natsu said, while cutting a piece of meat.

"I mean, do you plan to marry soon? What will your contribution to the empire be?" Rizael said.

"I have a plan, which I will reveal the court meeting tonight." Natsu said.

The meal continued in silence, words only being spoken to ask for more food, and to excuse oneself from the table.

The family moved to the throne room, a circular room, where the senators and nobles faced the Emperor, Empress, and the two princes. At each meeting, proposals would be put up for discussion, and they would be passed, vetoed, or returned for revision. The system worked very well, as it was made sure that each region of the empire was equally represented. Because the Emperor and his family resided in the capital, its own separate province, there was no issue of the Emperor being biased towards his home province. In fact, Emperor Rizael the Imperial Sage was renowned for his scathing impartiality, reprimanding those that would try to win his favor.

"Lord Riamat, excellent work as the announcer today." Rizael said, as senators and nobles began walking into the room.

"I appreciate the compliment, Your Grace. Your performance was astounding today. I must also commend the two young princes. Tell me, your Eminence, are your sons considering marriage soon? My youngest daughter Sarina has recently developed an interest in your younger son, Lord Natsu." Riamat said.

"Sorian is currently engaged, but I would advise you to keep it a secret, Lord Riamat. Loose lips on such topics are bound to be begging for mercy later on. As for my younger son, he has repeatedly rejected any arranged marriages. If your daughter would like to meet Natsu sometime, it can be arranged sometime, perhaps." Rizael said.

"I appreciate the offer, Your Grace. I shall discuss this with Sarina as well." Riamat said before going to his seat.

The meeting went by fairly quickly, as the senators brought to the Emperor's attention that some funds needed to be approved so that roads could be improved. Nobles were members of the parliament-like system, as they were the primary sources of funds, and they enforced taxes and laws alongside the army in their provinces. The motion went unopposed.

Then, the political discussion began. An Elorienne noble brought up the issue of expansion of the empire. He suggested expanding west, into Fiore, rather than continuing east. Natsu was slightly irked by this, but kept silence.

"I have previously expressed my desire to only expand into relatively undeveloped areas, so that our growing home population can expand into a larger area. This is also to benefit the local people of the conquered nations, who may have lesser technologies." Rizael said.

"Your Grace, Fiore is a small country. It would be of little consequence to take into the fold." the noble said.

"Second Prince Natsu, you lived in Fiore for some time. Tell us about the country." Rizael said.

"Fiore, while small, is a land of many resources as well as of a rich history. Its lands are filled with magic ruins and ancient cultures, which nurtured a tradition of the practice of magic. It is best left untouched, as it also consists of a number of magical guilds. These organizations consist of powerful wizards devoted to their craft and practice magic as a profession. The Magic Council also possesses a powerful weapon called the Etherion, that fires concentrated magical energy that could wipe out the capital within a few hours." Natsu explained.

"This is all the more reason to expand west and conquer the Kingdom of Fiore, your Eminence." a noblewoman said.

An argument began to boil amongst the senators, who expressed dissent, and the nobles, who were pro-expansion. They represented countries conquered by the empire, and refused to see another nation dominated. However, they did not resent it, for the empire had given them technology that had rapidly advanced their development. The nobles desired more provinces to govern so as to gain power.

"Silence!" Rizael said before a full-on battle erupted. The room fell silent to the man's indomitable authority.

Natsu then rose, while his family looked on. They had confused looks on their faces, skeptical of what the hot-headed, young prince would do.

"Senators and nobles, I have written a proposal for you: instead of expanding into Fiore, I suggest the alternative of allying with the nation. This addresses the territorial concerns of the senators, and the financial concerns of the nobles." he said.

The nobles took slight offense at the lattermost comment, although they knew it was essentially true.

"By allying with Fiore, we gain access to both their resources, as well as a powerful ally, with the Council's Etherion, as well as the number of magical guilds in Fiore. The most powerful of which, the guild of Fairy Tail, stands at the top. I suggest that by associating with the Council and the King's most formidable ally, we cement relations with Fiore. So, I issue you a choice: shall we be devastated trying to assimilate the kingdom, or remain intact while achieving essentially the same goals?" Natsu said.

Sorian and Farienne looked on in amazement. While not exactly subtle, Natsu had become much more diplomatic from his first days in Elorien. Theirs was a look of mixed pride and fear for how the assembly would react to his proposal.

Many senators rose in approval, as the proposal had satisfied their concerns. Few nobles stood up, but when Riamat stood up, many others followed the prominent lord's lead. After tallying up the votes, it became evident that the Second Prince's first proposal had gone unopposed.

"Very well, I shall write to the King of Fiore and Master of the Fairy Tail guild to request their permission. This meeting of the assembly is adjourned." Rizael said.

Natsu's heart beat with excitement at the thought of being able to be with Fairy Tail again. And most important of all, with Lucy. He might be going back to his second home!

The reignited spirit of the notorious Salamander was blazing again. In his room, Natsu looked at his shoulder. His Fairy Tail mark was gone; removed the day he was re-coronated as Second Prince of Elorien. He used to be Natsu Dragneel, son of Igneel. Now, he was Natsu d'Elorien, Second Prince of the Empire, the Drachius with the Soul of a Dragon. He felt like his old self again. A fire was in his belly, just waiting to come out.

"I'm feeling fired up!" he said, as he sat down to start writing a letter to the love of his life: Lucy Heartfilia.

**_Note: Yes, I'm well aware this is significantly longer than any of the previous chapters. Hopefully, this is getting interesting. Please write reviews and any questions about the story, if you have any. In order to placate readers before the next chapter, three important things will be coming up: Natsu's possible return to Fiore and Fairy Tail, romantic relations between Natsu and Lucy (obviously), and Sarina's role (there was a reason I gave her a name)._**


	6. A Nascent Destiny

_Disclaimer: I don't own Fairy Tail._

"You're very clever, you know." Sorian said, as he passed Natsu in the hall the next morning.

"What do you mean, brother?" Natsu said, smiling as he stopped.

"Making a proposal the way you did. All to get back to Fairy Tail and back to Lucy. You're quite devoted to her, aren't you?" he said.

"What of it?" Natsu said.

"All I'm saying is that your intentions are good; you combined the empire's interests with your own in a sort of compromise. However, heed my advice: your rashness will get you into trouble. Watch out for that noble Riamat. I have a feeling he's using his daughter Sarina to get to Father through you. It was the only possible reason he supported your motion; he needed to gain your trust. Keep your guard up, and do not trust him." Sorian said cautiously.

"Trust me, brother. I've been through enough to know that my rashness gets me into trouble. And also to know that I can muster enough willpower and magic to get me through it. Do not tell Father and Mother what I am about to tell you, it will worry them and also leave them open to exploitation." Natsu said.

"Why don't we discuss this in the Royal Room? That way our conversation will remain confidential. Father and Mother are out on business, and they will not return until lunchtime." he said.

The Royal Room was a room reserved for members of the royal family. It was a sort of family room, where the Emperor and his family could relax after a day's work and talk amongst themselves. The two sat themselves down in front of the ornate fire place on couches.

"So, tell me. What are you planning?" Sorian said.

"Lucy... I've missed her so much. I was only able to tell her that I loved her when we had to part. She accepted me, but being apart from her is unimaginably painful. If I can return to Fiore, I want to go back to Fairy Tail. I want to marry her." Natsu said.

"You certainly are sentimental. While I think your feelings are well-intentioned, be aware that if you marry her, your destinies shall forever be intertwined. You will be responsible for anything that happens to her, and she for anything that happens to you." Sorian warned.

"I've fought alongside her for years. I know I can trust her." Natsu said with a fire in his eyes, giving Sorian all the assurance he needed.

"Very well. I shall leave the rest up to you. Just know that I will be leaving for some time in about a month. As you know, I've been engaged to Princess Amalia of Auroria, the biggest province that was annexed to the empire. I will be going to see her for a few weeks, to better acquaint myself." Sorian said while getting up to leave.

Natsu then left the room as well. He planned to get his father to let him go to Fiore. Somehow, he would get back to Lucy. When Natsu walked into the throne room to discuss the matter with his father. He knew that by now, his parents would have returned.

"What is it Natsu?" Rizael said.

"Hail, Your Eminence, Father. I have a matter to discuss with you both." Natsu said.

"Can it not wait till lunchtime, my son?" Farienne said.

"No. It is of the utmost urgency." Natsu said.

"Speak, Natsu." Rizael said.

"I wish to be the ambassador to Fiore. I am the most suitable candidate, having lived there for years." Natsu said, as directly as possible.

"Why should I believe you are the best candidate? Your familiarity and experience does not necessarily qualify you. You have proven yourself rash, but determined. How can I trust you to make the right decisions?" Rizael said, suddenly taking a tone of criticality.

"Father, you know I am more powerful than any worthless noble you can send to Fiore. I know that I can handle the responsibility. All my comrades at Fairy Tail have repeatedly seen that I do the right thing every time." Natsu said.

Rizael's eyes flashed blue, indicating a revelation. "_My son is quite the man. Both a lover and a fighter._"

"Very well. I hereby approve your request, Ambassador Natsu. But on one condition: you must marry a woman of high status in Fiore to preserve the tradition." Rizael said.

Natsu walked out of the room with contained excitement and a vague feeling of apprehension about satisfying his father's condition, but he'd make it work. His mother saw it on his face. His was a mind driven by love, and love was a stubbornly determined thing.

"You know, you were once like that, as well, Rizael. Don't forget that he _is_ your son. Such brazen actions will scar him with memories of terrible pain, if something goes wrong." Farienne said.

"Yes, Farienne, I know. But Natsu is a man now. A man that knows what he wants, and will do anything to have and protect it. He can make his own decisions now, and shape his own destiny." Rizael said.

Timeframe: One week later (from the previous section)

Near Fairy Tail in Fiore, Lucy Heartfilia walked down the road by the canal. The two men on the boat repeated their habitual warning to her, only to be ignored. Lucy's hair had grown significantly longer. She began to wear it like her mother did. Her skirts were longer now, and more conservative than before. Her belt held all twelve Golden Zodiac Keys, along with a few silver keys. Her energy whip was also still on her belt.

When Lucy unlocked the door to her apartment, she saw a little girl with black hair in white and blue clothes.

"Aunt Lucy! We came to play today!" she said.

"Hello, Glacia." Lucy said to the daughter of Gray and Juvia Fullbuster.

"Hello, Lucy. I just stopped by to talk. Gray is out on an errand." Juvia said.

Juvia of the Great Sea had mellowed out considerably in four years. Her histrionic mannerisms were a thing of the past, and was now less emotional. She had to be for her daughter's sake. Juvia needed to be sane in order to keep the progressing Ice Mage in check.

Lucy set her things down and made Juvia some tea. Glacia sat on her mother's lap, fiddling with the pendant on Juvia's necklace.

"So, tell me Lucy: has Natsu sent any letters recently?" Juvia said.

"I sent him one last week. I might be getting a letter soon." Lucy said.

"I see... It must be hard being without him. Gray hasn't really been the same since Natsu left Fairy Tail. I think he misses having a brawl once in a while with him. Wendy has been occupying herself obsessively lately. I've advised her to calm down a little, but it seems she does it to keep Natsu out of her mind." Juvia said.

"Yes, but at least I'm able to work a schedule that's easier for me to manage. Money is never a real issue anymore, now that I've put some away in the bank. I always have extra money to work with, in case I need it." Lucy said.

"That's good to hear, Lucy. By the way, what did Natsu say in his last letter?" Juvia said.

"Well, it seems it's all good news. He's been practicing magic a lot lately. With every letter, he sends me some small gift that he can send. I appreciate it, and it proves that I'm still loved." Lucy said.

"What are you talking about? Does Aunt Lucy have a boyfriend, Mommy?" Glacia said.

The two women laughed at the child's questions. Juvia caressed her daughter's face tenderly, telling her, "In a way, honey."

Juvia and Glacia left, leaving Lucy to herself. She went down to the mailbox near the front door to collect her mail. When she returned to her room, Lucy leafed through some fan letters from all over Fiore, junk mail, and some exclusive mission requests made of Lucy, specifically.

Then, the landlady called Lucy, saying that she had received a package with a letter. It said _N. d'E_ on the seal. Lucy's heart suddenly began to beat faster. It happened every time she got something from Natsu. She excitedly opened the letter attached to a rectangular red jewelry box with the imperial seal on it.

_Dear Lucy,_

_At the assembly meeting today, I made my first proposal! It was to ally Fiore with the empire, and create an ambassadorship in Fiore. Don't speak a word about it, as it is still tentative. It is very possible that I'll be in Fiore sometime soon. Don't open the gift until we meet, if possible._

_Sorian and I lost to Father in the most recent biannual match, again. Father says that my magic has improved, but could use some containment and focus. I wish I could spar with Gray, Erza, and everyone at Fairy Tail again, because so few people in Fiore seem to last very long against me. Sorian's too busy, half the time._

_My mother has expressed interest in endorsing Heartfilia Railways independently, and connect the trains on an international railway. My father wishes you well in your aspirations as a writer, and if you feel confident in your novel, he would be glad to review it and possibly act as your patron. Sorian sends his regards as well. Perhaps we'll be together again, soon, Lucy. Wait for me, please._

_Love,_

_Natsu Dragneel-d'Elorien_

As usual, Lucy's long letters were met with relatively short ones from Natsu. He'd never been one to write sentimentally the way Lucy did, but he also didn't have as many people to talk about. As for the news itself, Lucy was overwhelmed, but she knew that she had to keep Natsu's possible return a secret. She was happy that both the Emperor and Empress were interested in endorsing her, but she'd have to discuss it with the other business magnates her father used to work with. Heartfilia Railways was currently out of commission, but if the rail system were to somehow be bought out from Fiore Rails, the government entity that owned it, it would be back. As for her novel, Lucy was having Levy read it first. Lucy had ended the story with the Grand Magic Games, because soon after, Natsu had left, leaving her without such a crucial character.

She decided to head over to the guild, being in such an elated mood. She kept the box in her apartment, so that she wouldn't get it stolen. When she walked into the guild, the same level of muted chaos was in full swing, as Natsu wasn't there to add to the fight. Gray and Elfman were having a friendly fight while others looked on in amusement. Gajeel quickly got involved as well. For some reason, Sabertooth's Sting and Rogue had dropped by, and were instantly attracted by the little squabble and contributed to the entropy.

She joined Juvia, Evergreen, and Levy in the back, the latter two losing their patience. Juvia had come to expect this sort of behavior from Gray, but started panicking when Glacia started wandering toward the squabble.

"Glacia, this is a grown-ups' fight, Daddy will handle it!" Juvia said, pulling her daughter away from the fight with a lasso of water.

The little Fullbuster decided to respond by freezing her mother's water, but she couldn't break free from the ice.

"Gray! Her Ice Magic is at it again! Intervene, please!" Juvia said, almost angrily, evoking the image of sea dragon behind her in Glacia's mind.

"Daddy, Mommy looks like she's gonna get angry again!" Glacia said.

Gray suddenly paled, as he saw Juvia flaring up behind him. For some reason, ever since they had gotten married, Juvia had gained motherly sensibilities... and power. He had come to fear Juvia's fits of rage, which often occurred when he was fooling around and not helping her with Glacia's wild side.

"Glacey, I'm coming to help you!" Gray said, breaking the ice around Glacia.

Juvia's anger subsided, and herded Glacia into her lap, even though the child continued squirming.

"I didn't expect that our magic would be passed down to Glacia, much less be a combination of Ice Make and Water Magic. Porlyusica was right..." Juvia said tiredly.

"Sorry for not helping you out. I'll try to keep my fighting to a minimum." Gray said.

"But seeing Daddy fight is fun! Especially when Uncle Laxus and Elfman beat him up!" Glacia said, with a note of Juvia's former sadism.

"Don't count out your old man, just yet, Glacey." he said.

She began giggling as her father started tickling her. One thing that could be seen was the fact that Gray had managed to keep his clothes on the entire time, having essentially eliminated the habit.

"Hey, Lucy. How are you? Got a letter from the fire brain?" Gray said.

"Yeah. Not much that's important. He lost to his dad again. But I got endorsements from his parents!" Lucy said.

"I didn't expect the Salamander to be able beat his old man so soon. The guy's known as a legend, even around here." Gray said.

"He's not enough of a man!" Elfman said, while still fighting.

"Your endorsements are great news, Lucy! Congratulations!" Levy said.

"Thanks, Levy! By the way, have you finished reading the novel?" Lucy asked.

"I'm almost finished. You should probably revise the middle portion, because it seems a little inconsistent tone-wise and structurally to the rest. After that, I think it'll be in pretty good shape." Levy said.

"The self-proclaimed terrible writer giving writing tips!" Lucy said jokingly.

"Oh, shut up! I'm an avid reader, so I know my stuff!" Levy said.

"Hey, Lucy! Lacrima call for you!" Jet called from the upper floor.

"Coming!" Lucy said.

She went upstairs to receive the call, and it was, surprisingly, one of her father's business associates from his success days.

"Mr. Claren! I wasn't expecting you! I actually meant to call you later!" she said.

"Hello, Lucy. It's been a while. I actually just got back from a business trip in Elorien three days ago. The Uraliat Merchant's Guild had a message for Heartfilia Railway associates. Apparently the Empress is willing to endorse Heartfilia Railways, if we can get back in order." Claren said.

"I actually received word of that today. If the rest of you are willing to put enough money together, we can buy out Fiore Rails." Lucy said.

"You realize that if we do this, you will officially be called a simple heiress to the company, rather than an owner. Your husband would be the official owner." he said.

"I will change that. I won't be repressed because I'm a woman." Lucy said darkly.

"Please excuse my rudeness, my Lady. I should have thought more than to speak to the heiress of the Heartfilia family with such rude informality. We will make sure you are on the board of directors, Lady Lucy." he said with a combination of subservience and jocularity.

"Thank you, Mr. Claren. I look forward to conducting business with you. I shall send you my contribution through the bank. Ask for Lucy Heartfilia's contribution." Lucy said.

The call ended, and Lucy was feeling lucky. "_Aren't I Lucky Lucy now? Mom and Dad?_" she said to herself, as though her parents would hear her in heaven.

"So the Heartfilia family is coming back into the fray..." Makarov said from behind Lucy.

"Hello, Master. And yes, I am working with my father's associates, so you won't have to worry about this daughter." Lucy said.

"I wouldn't dream of it." the old Fairy Tail wizard said.

Suddenly, the doors burst open. Erza Scarlet stood in the doorway, linked with the arms of Jellal Fernandes.

"We have an announcement, my Fairy Tail family!" she said.

Everyone turned toward Fairy Tail's strongest female wizard with a mixture of fear and curiosity.

"Erza and I are, as of yesterday, engaged." Jellal said.

The hall went up in cheers, with all the Fairy Tail women going to congratulate Erza on her engagement. Her strong and assertive attitude was well suited to the calm and collected Jellal, a sort of balance struck between the two.

"Oh yes, I have something else to say." Erza said, getting up to speak.

"Fairy Tail, listen well, because something momentous is going to happen!" she said.

Again, people were forced to listen, for fear that Erza, or even Jellal, would destroy them.

"Someone very important is going to coming to the guild today, so I want all of you on your best behavior. You may or may not recognize him, if you haven't been in the guild all that long. In a few minutes, he will arrive." Erza said.

Lucy listened to the girls speculate about who the visitor could be, given how vague Erza had been. Mysteriously, she was nowhere to be seen, as if it saddened her to be there. At least, that was Lucy's impression. Lucy herself had no conceivable idea of who the person could be.

The guild became quiet in anticipation of the visitor, with many eyes on the door. It was almost dusk and time for dinner. People were thinking about going home, but others urged them to stay. Newer wizards were curious to know who the person was. Lucy thought about the possibility of Natsu walking through the door, back into her life. She wanted to be with the hot-headed Fire Dragon Slayer so badly, but she knew that he probably wouldn't be coming very soon. Lucy got up to leave, and as she walked toward the door, the doors burst open.

At first, Lucy couldn't believe her eyes. Her mouth was open, but no words came out. Her mind was confused, and her heart was racing. Everyone looked on in amazement. A man with spiky pink hair and devilish eyes, wearing a black and gold-lined coat stood on Fairy Tail's doorstep.

"Welcome back, son of Igneel." Makarov said, with a tear coming to his eye, but he contained himself.

"Fairy Tail's Salamander is back!" Natsu shouted triumphantly.

The entire guild was churned into an uproar as they shouted, "Natsu!" Everyone rushed to see their long lost friend. Erza, known for her mental fortitude, was reduced to tears and overcome by emotion as she embraced her childhood friend. Rather tightly, one might add.

"Please, Erza, not so tight!" Natsu said.

"It's good to see you again, fire brain." Gray said, holding Glacia in his arms.

"Dropped the stripping habit, I see? And now you've got a little girl now, don't you?" Natsu said.

Glacia shied away from Natsu, with smirk on her face. Gray and Natsu shook hands to greet each other. Juvia and Gajeel also welcomed Natsu back, along with an emphatic Romeo and Wendy. Wendy said she'd go get Carla and Happy the next day. Sting and Rogue were nervous to treat Natsu like an equal, for they felt they were still inferior. They greeted him with an awkward mix of respect and familiarity. Elfman said that Natsu had become more of a man.

The Fairy Tail women plagued him with questions about his potential escapades with Elorienne women, only for him to say, "I couldn't do any of that, because my heart belongs in Fiore, with Fairy Tail, and with a very special person."

The crowd parted for Lucy and Natsu to come together. Lucy jumped into Natsu's arms, kissing him. Whistles could be heard from the back.

"We've all missed you so much, you idiot." Lucy said tearfully.

"But I'm back, aren't I?" Natsu said.

She laughed, but then noticed the guild go silent, as she saw Natsu get down on one knee. Women's hands went to their mouths in disbelief, the only words spoken were those in hushed whispers of speculation. In his hand was the red box from her mail. Natsu had gotten it from her apartment, by going through the window, as usual. He opened the box, revealing a diamond ring, an ornate gold filigree necklace adorned with a physical combination of emerald, ruby and sapphire (which was actually aesthetically pleasing, surprisingly), along with a pair of diamond earrings. Natsu set about adorning Lucy with these jewels as he spoke.

"In Elorien, the ruby is a symbol of passion and power, like a blazing fire. The sapphire represents the infinite depth of life and love, like the ocean. The emerald is like the Earth, with its immeasurable riches and rewards for those who work hard for it. The diamond's hardness and perfect luster are likened to the absolute unbreakability of a true bond and also the perfection that is begotten of such integrity. These qualities are made real by the two of us as one, and therefore, I beseech of you: join me in marriage, Lucy Heartfilia. Give me the honor of being your husband that will fight for and protect you. I am like a dragon who wanders the skies in search of his one and only soulmate. I have flown for years, and my wings tire. Tame my dragon's soul, allow me to rest my wings, and join you on this earth."

The crowd was astounded by the proposal, not only by its sudden appearance, but also the eloquence with which Natsu spoke. Four years ago, Natsu couldn't have been this articulate, people thought. The sheer awe of the event made it impossible for anyone to speak, as they looked to Lucy for her answer. Lucy's eyes welled up with tears of joy. Not only was she able to be with the man she loved, but now, she knew for sure that he desired her as well. She hadn't been sure until their parting kiss four years ago, and that resolve had wavered over four years, but now it was unshakeable.

"I accept." Lucy said.

The whole guild went up in cheers, starting a night-long party that celebrated their estranged guildmate's return. However, it could not be helped but to wonder what trials awaited the new couples of Fairy Tail, and about the nascent destiny that was being created. Whether it was Juvia and Gray, Erza and Jellal, Levy and Gajeel, Evergreen and Elfman, or Lucy and Natsu, one could easily tell that a new, "tail," was being chased, a new adventure was beginning.


	7. Two Families Together While Evil Stirs

_Disclaimer: I do not own Fairy Tail._

The party lasted until three o'clock in the morning, but the townspeople didn't even complain. It was as if they, too, had acknowledged the most obstreperous wizard they had ever known.

Natsu stayed over at Lucy's apartment, and slept peacefully together. No arguments, no irritation, simply bliss in each other's arms. When the ungodly hours were past, Natsu and Lucy began to discuss the marriage.

"First thing: my parents didn't know I was planning to marry you. I was technically sent here as an ambassador to Fiore, and because Fairy Tail is the country's strongest guild, the King had an embassy built in Magnolia, where the Emperor, if he needs to, can call for assistance. I told my father and the king I would make my own living arrangements." he said.

"So will you be able to come back to Fairy Tail?" Lucy said hopefully.

"I don't know. My father's condition was that I had marry someone of high social stature in Fiore. By their standards, you might not be." Natsu said sadly.

"Well, it just so happens that because of some endorsements from your parents, I was able to start up Heartfilia Railways again! Which means that I am now an important asset to the country, being the heiress to what will be the largest system of travel in Fiore." Lucy said proudly.

"That's great!" Natsu said.

The two spent some time in Magnolia, reminiscing about the old days. Many people who didn't know that Natsu was back began to stare, especially because he was holding hands with Lucy. This was further emphasized by Lucy's beautiful engagement jewelry.

After just three days, the Magnolia newspaper's cover story was the complete purchase of Fiore Rails by the thought-to-be-dead Heartfilia Railways. Lucy's family estate was restored to her, and she had the family cemetery relocated back to the estate. Everything seemed to be good. Almost too good.

Even they didn't want to acknowledge it, every member of Fairy Tail could sense that something dark was brewing, despite the unprecedented peace and happiness they enjoyed. There were reports that Cobra, the Poison Dragon Slayer, had been released from prison, as well as sightings of the daughter of the former Sabertooth Master, Minerva. It was a time to rejoice, as well as to be wary.

The newest couples of Fairy Tail all sat at a single table, discussing their plans for the future. Gray and Juvia were already pretty far along as far as being parents went. They had their first daughter, and they were contemplating another child, having bought a house with two extra bedrooms, one of which could be a room for another child. Gray was looking forward to a son, although Juvia didn't really mind whether it was a boy or a girl. Levy and Gajeel as well as Lucy and Natsu had yet to actually marry, although the former had set a wedding date.

"We planned the wedding for November 4th, which will be next week. We hope you and Lucy will be able to come, Natsu." Levy said.

"Well now, I can't exactly miss the wedding of a fellow Dragon Slayer." Natsu said with a smirk.

"Can the feigned sense of kinship, fire breath." Gajeel said gruffly, as usual.

"You wanna take this outside, bolts-for-brains?" Natsu said.

There was a short silence, and the table erupted in laughter. It had been some time since they laughed together this way.

"It's good to have you back, Natsu." Gajeel said.

Natsu felt the love of his Fairy Tail family again. He wanted badly to be a member of Fairy Tail, to go on missions with Erza, Gray, and Lucy. But now that everyone was moving forward, including himself, he knew the good old days were behind him. He went back with Lucy to her apartment, to discuss the engagement, and his parents' attitudes towards it.

"I'm going to call them via lacrima to tell I'm marrying you. You're the heiress to Heartfilia Railways, and my mother's endorsing you! I think it will work out." Natsu said.

"I know, Natsu, but I want your parents to accept me as your wife for who I am as a person, not just because I'm a wealthy heiress." Lucy said.

Her concern was valid. As important as it was that his wife could support herself and also be an asset to his family, he wanted his parents to like Lucy. He didn't want them thinking he had just married someone to satisfy them. Natsu knew that her parents would think the same. He was sure that his parents wanted him to love his wife, not just her background.

Lucy brought out a purple lacrima that was split by a black band around the middle. Natsu transferred the coordinates of his message's destination and also its recipients. A screen appeared between the two purple hemispheres. A few minutes passed, with a black screen, indicating the other side was not responding. Just as he was about to give up, Natsu's parents appeared on the screen.

"It's rather late at night, my son." Rizael said.

"I apologize, Father." Natsu said.

"Let me guess: you want to tell me about your engagement to Lucy Heartfilia, heiress to Heartfilia Railways?" Rizael said.

"How did you..." Natsu said, before being cut off by his mother, who said, "Hello, Lucy. It's good to finally speak with you face-to-face."

"Hello, Empress. I trust you are doing well?" Lucy said.

"Yes, Lucy. Thank you for your concern. Also, please dispense with my title. You will be my daughter-in-law soon. Please call me Mother, or Farienne, if that is more comfortable for you." Farienne said.

"You may also call me Father, or Rizael. As for knowing about your engagement, it was rather obvious as to what your intentions were, even without your mother's mind reading magic." Rizael said.

"But... why didn't you say anything, if you knew?" Natsu said.

"Because, we were being watched. Nobles were peering through the doors, and we couldn't appear as though we were giving into the whims of the second prince." Rizael said.

"It would have looked equally disgraceful, if it were discovered that I was consorting with foreign businessmen, and trying to revive a bankrupt company." Farienne said.

"You mean the endorsement was not headed by you, Farienne?" Lucy said, almost hurt.

"Technically, no. I was convinced that it would be a good asset to the empire if I were to help build a railroad into the empire. However, I knew that they would not allow me to do so, unless I made conditions of my own. I stipulated that Lucy Heartfilia was to be reinstated as heiress to the company, and given a seat on the board of directors. I am counting on you, Claren, and his associates to realize this goal." Farienne said, buoying Lucy's spirits.

"But now to Natsu's question: do we accept the engagement? Yes, we do. We intended for the wedding to take place in Elorien, but recent happenings have made that difficult." Rizael said, the last comment referring to Natsu's ambassadorship.

"We can have it in Fiore, can't we? We can send for our friends and family in Elorien also." Natsu said.

"There's no need. Because we're on our way to Magnolia, as we speak. We're making this call from inside the train." Farienne said, with a smile.

Natsu's face lit up, and said, "But, how and when!?"

"We departed two days ago. We were forced to rent out two whole cars in order to accommodate the whole family. Your aunts, uncles, cousins and both sets of grandparents will be coming, you know. Your brother is asleep right now. He was somewhat anxious about this trip, as he will need to go to Auroria soon. Anyway, expect us to arrive tomorrow morning." Rizael said.

The call ended, and the lacrima returned to its original form.

"Lucy, when we get married, I want to build a house for us to live in peace." Natsu said.

"Why do you need to trouble yourself with having a house built? The Heartfilia estate is more than enough." Lucy said.

"Don't you think it'll be better for us to stay in Magnolia, and close to Fairy Tail? After all, our jobs are here, and it would be easier for us to commute every day. You don't need to be at the estate all the time, do you?" Natsu said.

"Well, no. Your reasoning is valid, but let's get other business sorted out first. Levy's wedding is in two days, so we need to buy a gift, and I need a new dress." Lucy said.

"Well, there's no need to spend more money, because I brought you back a few Elorienne dresses from the imperial tailor." Natsu said.

"I hope you got the measurements right." Lucy said.

Lucy was grateful for all the things that Natsu was doing for her, but she felt like she was being spoiled again. The way her father did, as a way to compensate for not being able to spend time with her. It was as if Natsu was going to be busy soon, such that they'd be apart for a long time.

"Natsu, let me ask you a favor." Lucy said, as she tried on the dress.

"Anything." Natsu said with a smile.

"If you ever feel the need to compensate for not being able to spend time together because of your job, don't do so. There's no need, because all I need are the precious moments we do have." Lucy said.

In Natsu's mind, she had hit the spot. He knew that his job might take up a lot of time with Lucy, so he planned to buy her things to compensate. Of course, he should have guessed that she didn't need that, having gone through the same experience with her father.

When Lucy came out the bathroom from changing, and Natsu was left speechless. The combination of a sparkling white dress with loose sleeves, and her engagement jewels made her stunning. Suddenly, the jewels began to change color.

"Engagement jewelry from Elorien is meant to shift to fit the occasion and one's clothing as well. Of course, it physically won't change shape, but the enchanted gold changes color, as do the jewels." he said.

The gems became diamonds, while the sparkling gold became a pearl-colored white gold. It suited Lucy quite well.

"So, Natsu, do I have to wear this all the time?" Lucy asked.

"Oh, no. Engagement jewelry in Elorien is precisely that. You wear it to show other people that you are engaged, and unavailable. But you wouldn't need that, because I could never let another man have you." Natsu said.

"Well that's a relief. As for that other comment, try telling Loke that." Lucy said.

Lucy gave Natsu a kiss on the cheek, making him blush a little. Lucy tried on a few different dresses, eventually deciding on a red dress, that caused her jewelry to be inlaid with rubies, and red-colored gold. They went to sleep, thinking tomorrow they would go to buy a gift.

While all the good happenings in Magnolia transpired, a certain woman was holding a conference of dark wizards from across the continent. A man with innumerable tattoos across his body, apparently runes, was standing up to speak. He had an average build, but his very presence struck fear into the hearts of those around him. His aura indicated a great magical power. The others present appeared to pale in comparison, but in fact, they were repressing their power in order to hide themselves from other wizards.

"Recently, our luck has not been so good, with the recent increase in power among the legitimate guilds." one named Erius said.

"We must shift our focus to a place less concentrated with magical power. Fiore is filled with powerful wizards that could easily destroy us. Especially the one called Fairy Tail." another said.

"That guild is a weak thing. They show mercy to their opponents, a travesty that I have witnessed in person." a woman said.

"Minerva, you were once a member of a legitimate guild, were you not?" the man said.

"Yes, I was a member of the now worthless Sabertooth, Lord Riamat." Minerva said.

The gathering of dark wizards included those from all walks of life, even former members of legitimate guild. Minerva, having seen her guild utterly defeated, along with herself, resented Fairy Tail and all legitimate guilds. She sought to exact her revenge somehow, and when she met the Elorienne noble Riamat while abroad in Elorien, she was inducted into the Order of Shadows.

"Heed my words, dark wizards." Riamat announced to the group.

"Today, the Order of Shadows meets to plan its ultimate goal, _my_ goal. In addition, you shall be able to accomplish your goals along the way, as I have promised. I will use the dark magic of Elorien in tandem with the teachings of the wizard Zeref and make this world the dominion of the fallen gods of yore. This world is drenched in meaningless hopes and uncertain desires. We must take it upon ourselves to create a world of absolute occurrences, where everything is set in stone, not shaped by destiny or fate." he said.

"What an ambitious plan, my lord. How do you plan to start?" Erius said.

"I will gather the keys to their shrines, which have been locked away by the predecessors of the wretched Emperor. Meanwhile, you all shall enter the Grand Magic Games, which approach in the coming months. We must win a high standing, in order to gain the trust of the both the Magic Council and the people of Fiore. We will rally them to our cause, and change the world." he said.

"We must also eliminate threats in Fiore and Elorien. Namely the imperial family. They consist of who can easily be called some of the elite wizards of Elorien. I will personally lead the effort to take out Fairy Tail, as well. Sarina, what is the report on Cobra?" Minerva said.

The daughter of Riamat emerged from the shadows. She had a nervous look on her face, due to her generally reserved nature. Her specialty was stealth related magic, meaning she could accomplish almost any job that involved espionage, or being hidden.

"Greetings, my Lords and Ladies. It saddens me to say this, Lady Minerva, but Lord Cobra has refused to join the Order. He believes acting independently is the only way to accomplish his goals." Sarina said.

"We could have used a Dragon Slayer, but no matter. We can accomplish our goal without him." Minerva said.

"_Father, may I speak with you?_" Minerva said, telepathically.

"_Speak, Sarina._" Riamat said.

"_Prince Natsu, from rumors I have heard, is now engaged to the recently reinstated heiress of Heartfilia Railways_." she said.

"_I see. There is no point in pursuing him any longer. Infiltrate Fairy Tail, and gather information. I have other methods of eliminating the imperial family._" Riamat said.

"_As you wish, Father._" Sarina said.

"Erius, we shall set about gathering the keys to the shrines, as well as garnering public support for our Dark Guild, Shade Origin." Riamat said.

Erius nodded consent, and the conference was adjourned. Each wizard vanished into corridors of shadow. Only Minerva remained.

"Fairy Tail... You shall all burn in the hellish fires of damnation! This world has no more room for your fruitless optimism!" she declared.

Back in Magnolia, morning dawned on the buttresses of the Kardia Cathedral. A long distance train from the eastern border rolled into the station. Being so early in the morning, the Magnolia station staff were not expecting the large, foreign group that disembarked. One the luggage staff approached Rizael, who headed the crowd.

"Sir, would you like us to help unload your baggage?" the old man said.

"Good sir, it is not in our consciences nor our traditions to place such a burden upon an elderly man such as yourself. You ought to be considered an elder, a source of knowledge for the younger generation. However, as I understand it, that is not the practice in Fiore. In any case, we shall unload our baggage ourselves." Rizael said.

Rizael, Sorian, and several of Natsu's male cousins began taking out their bags from the luggage car, while his female cousins helped the elderly off the train, and began unloading hand baggage as well as other boxes carrying gifts and the like. Rizael along with his brothers and sisters levitated the bags into folding carts they had brought along with them.

The entire train staff, along with other passengers watched the spectacle unfold. They were unaware that they had been in the presence of foreign royalty. Rizael asked the information desk for directions to the largest hotel in Magnolia and also to Fairy Tail from there. The woman at the desk wrote the directions down on a map of Magnolia.

The hotel staff was equally shocked, especially as the Elorienne family booked the best half of the hotel rooms. Rizael, Sorian, and Farienne discussed their plan of action.

"Let's all rest for a while, and then we'll head to the Fairy Tail guild hall." Sorian said.

"I think Natsu will be somewhat surprised to see us, even though he knows ahead of time." Farienne said with a slight chuckle.

Rizael looked out the window, feeling as though something was off around Magnolia. His magical perception was considered extraordinary, not to mention his vast magical prowess, but had declined a nomination as one of the Ten Wizard Saints several years ago. He felt he was not deserving of the title. Somewhere, in a mountain bastion, there was a familiar, but dark presence. Something was being plotted. Rizael knew they had to be wary in Fiore.

Meanwhile, at Fairy Tail, Natsu chatted with Gray and the other Fairy Tail men, including Romeo, who had grown up considerably. He was almost as tall as Natsu, and had become significantly more muscular, though not as much as his role model.

"So what's having a fiancée like?" Romeo asked Gray and Natsu.

"What do you mean? It hardly means anything for a couple, except that you're about to be married, and being engaged tells other people that." Gray said.

"Well, perhaps I should be more specific: what's having a girlfriend like?" Romeo said.

"It's a nice feeling. You spend time with the woman you love, and she loves you back. Why? Are you eyeing some girl right now?" Gray said.

"Lucy tells me that you're interested in Wendy! I'm not surprised, because she has become quite bit more busty in the time I was gone." Natsu said, mocking Romeo.

"Sh-shut up! So what... if I like her?" Romeo said, blushing and getting quiet.

"Well for one, she is technically twenty-three years old. Wendy is kind of out your league, man." Gajeel said.

"She still looks like she's around the same age as me!" Romeo said.

The older men laughed at Romeo's failed attempts to disguise his burgeoning attractions to Wendy. Wendy herself was blissfully unaware. At the moment, she was not at the guild hall. She had gone to the Exceed Settlement a day or two out of Magnolia to fetch Happy and Carla. Wendy was supposed to return that day.

"Hello, everyone! Two very special Exceeds have arrived!" Wendy said suddenly from the doorway. Speak of the devil, very much so.

Happy and Carla had grown vaguely taller, to almost three feet, and paled in comparison to most people in the guild.

"Natsu! I haven't seen you in four years!" Happy said, rather dramatically, with tears streaming down his face.

Natsu hugged the blue Exceed tightly. The two talked about what had happened in the past four years. Happy succeeded in marrying Carla. They hadn't had any children, because their bodies would take very long time to mature to that level. Carla didn't feel mature enough mentally, to take care of children anyway.

Happy was surprised that Lucy was smart enough to have restarted Heartfilia Railways. This comment was promptly met with a slap to the face. Natsu and Carla believed he deserved it. Carla actually applauded Natsu for working up the nerve to propose to Lucy four years later.

The usual ruckus ensued in the hall, with drinking, eating, and merrymaking abound. Natsu and Lucy were about to head back to the apartment to discuss how they were going to build their house. Natsu had found out from the Elorienne Embassy that they were planning on building a house on one the new plots of land around Magnolia. He told them that he and his fiancée were going to take part in the design of the house.

Just then, the doors burst open. Someone asked how many more dramatic appearances the doors would bear witness to. It would have appeared that it would see one more.

"Hello, Natsu. Your family is here!" Rizael said, revealing a host of aunts, uncles, and cousins belonging to Natsu, not to mention his mother and brother.

The guild hall became nearly full with Elorienne royals and Fairy Tail wizards intermingling, discussing magic, food, life, clothes, and almost anything else. Rizael's brothers began to chat with Macao and Wakaba, as well as other older Fairy Tail men. His sisters began talking Erza and Mirajane, and all the Fairy Tail women, giving them life and clothing advice.

"You're truly a beauty, Mirajane!" one of Natsu's aunts said.

"You could be a model for Auroria's fashion lines, Erza!" another said.

Cana, Levy, and Lucy were swarmed by Natsu's male cousins, who drooled over them, until an angry trio of Gildarts, Gajeel, and Natsu spotted them.

"If you want my daughter, you'll have to beat me first." Gildarts said grimly.

"I'll never get married like that, then!" Cana said petulantly.

Some of the newer Fairy Tail male wizards started hitting on Natsu's female cousins, until they either gave them cheek replies, or their older brothers arrived.

Sorian met Natsu's Fairy Tail companions, and was interested in what magic they used. They had a long conversation about, during which some of the unmarried women in Fairy Tail, such as Lisanna, eyed Sorian with an infatuated eye.

"Greetings, Fairy Tail! We have come from afar to celebrate and organize the wedding of my son and ambassador to Fiore. We are grateful to this guild for having raised our son. Natsu tells me that he treated you like his family, and reciprocated that feeling. Due to his marrying a Fairy Tail wizard, we feel it due to him that he have his mark restored." Rizael declared.

The promulgation from the Emperor shocked and excited everyone. Mirajane went to Makarov, to tell him what had happened. Makarov brought down the Fairy Tail mark stamper, and stood on the table on order to put it on Natsu's right shoulder, where it had been erased so many years ago.

"We welcome you back to Fairy Tail, Natsu Dragneel! Or should I say Natsu d'Elorien?" Makarov said.

The guild and Natsu's family laughed at the Master's joke. Rizael asked Makarov if he could speak with him privately, along with Sorian and Farienne. The three went upstairs to Makarov's office.

"What is it that you wish to ask of me?" Makarov said, as he sat down.

"We feel that we must bear the burden of Fairy Tail's children alongside you, as one of my sons is one of yours as well. We ask that you brand us as well, so that we cannot ever forget. It is our wish that Elorien can continue having peaceful relations with Fiore and Fairy Tail." Rizael said.

For the first time in years, Rizael knelt before an equal. The last time he knelt before someone was when he ascended the throne during his coronation as emperor.

"You have an indomitable sense of honor, your eminence. But, as per our tradition, all of those inducted into Fairy Tail must take this oath:

_To be a member of Fairy Tail is:_

_To forever chase the fairy's tail,_

_That to know its verity is our goal_

_T'is a never-ending adventure _

_To fight alongside comrades_

_In order to surmount our foes_

_And live to see and make brighter days_

_To acknowledge Fairy Tail as my family_

_And that a family cannot leave its children behind_

_That we share our pain and happiness_

_And our failures and successes_

_That we cannot be broken by anything_

_Except the end of time_

The three repeated this oath, and were sworn in as members of Fairy Tail, and founders of the Elorien Branch of Fairy Tail. Their motto was that wherever the Fairy's mark was hoisted on a flag, Fairy Tail was welcome. Makarov added the Fairy Tail seal to the imperial Tree of Arms, which detailed every family (Fairy Tail _is_ a family, no?) that had ever married into the d'Elorien dynasty, with their coat of arms to show where they came in.

"Shall I call you Father now, Master? Or perhaps, Grandfather?" Rizael said jokingly.

"I might be that old, but I'm not willing to be called that by someone your age, Rizael!" Makarov said.

It was as if the formalities disappeared with the sudden ties that were created between Fairy Tail and the d'Elorien family.

The day quickly waned into dusk, as the day of Levy and Gajeel's wedding approached. Rizael, Farienne, and Sorian had things to attend to at the newly built Elorienne Embassy, so they did not attend. It was a glorious affair, and Gajeel had been excitedly waiting for it, even if he didn't show it. The whole guild roared excitedly at the climax of the ceremony, Gajeel and Levy's first kiss.

At the reception, people danced, fought, played, and made merry all night. Natsu and Lucy felt as though these times would never end. However, everyone knew that something always happened in Fiore. No time so prosperous as this, could last forever.


	8. Reunion

Disclaimer: I don't own Fairy Tail.

It was a few days after Levy and Gajeel's wedding. They'd moved into one of the houses in the developing complex near the shore below the cliff at Fairy Tail. It was aptly named Fairy Shores. The d'Elorien family was still in Magnolia, and most of the Fairy Tail women, Natsu's mother, and aunts had decided to take Lucy shopping for the day. Rizael and Natsu's uncles were helping him plan the wedding. Not many Fairy Tail men were qualified to help plan a wedding, as most weren't married, save for Gray, Wakaba, and Macao.

"First order of business: are we having an Elorienne wedding, or a Fiore wedding?" one of Natsu's uncles said.

"I should think that we're having an Elorienne wedding. From what I understand, the Fiore weddings are held in churches, whereas ours are held in the Dragon Temples." Rizael said.

"We can't have a Fiore wedding." Natsu said bluntly.

"And why is that?" one uncle said.

"Because our weddings require the presence of both parents to give their blessing to the couple, otherwise the priest cannot allow the marriage. Lucy's parents have both passed away." Makarov said, coming down the stairs.

"I see. But how are we to perform the ceremony without a priest and temple?" yet another uncle said.

"We can go to the ruins just north of town." Makarov said.

"What are these ruins?" Rizael said.

"It was discovered recently that these are the ruins of a civilization that worshipped dragons. If we can convert it into a Dragon Temple, under your direction of course, all we must do is call a priest from Elorienne." Makarov said.

"This is very convenient, Makarov. If we can get a ride up to the ruins, please help us." Rizael said.

"It just so happens that there is an archaeologist group in town at the moment. If you ask them, I'm sure they will help you." Makarov said.

Gajeel, Wendy, Carla, and Happy decided to follow the group to the mountain ruins. Rizael and Natsu asked around for the archaeologists' location, and found them at a local tavern.

"Absolutely not!" the head archaeologist said emphatically.

"Sir, this is of great importance to us." Natsu said.

"I do not care! The archaeological significance of the ruins is too great to sacrifice for some rag-tag group of foreigners who don't know a thing about dragons and their civilization." he said.

"Excuse me..." Rizael said, stepping forward.

Rizael took off his coat and shirt to reveal his toned, muscular chest. On his pecs, he bore the Fairy Tail and imperial insignias. He pointed to an S-shaped scar on the side of his body.

"I am the Emperor of Elorien, a people that has celebrated the existence of dragons for centuries. We live in harmony with them in our country, and in exchange, they have given us technology, civilization, and culture. I received this scar from the dragon that taught me some of my most powerful magic. If you insist that our people do not know anything, we shall prove it to you further." Rizael said with some rage in his voice.

The archaeologist had fallen to the floor in fear, and nodded his head rapidly to affirm his consent. Other customers at the tavern were staring both in fear and bewilderment.

"Father, please. People are staring." Sorian and Natsu warned.

The man introduced himself as Troyeck, Professor of Dragon Studies at the University in Crocus. He had been interested in the dragons since he was a child. He'd never dreamed of meeting anyone that was in regular contact with them.

The ruins were truly not very far from town at all, being only a few miles of the upper main path of Mt. Wakabe. When they finally arrived, they discovered a massive door, with verses inscribed on it. The Elorienne men followed Troyeck and his team in a horse-driven cart.

"We've been inside, but our linguist has been trying to decode this ancient language." he said.

"Until the Council of Dragons convenes once more, this place foretells death for enemies and sanctuary for allies. Scattered brethren, seek thy help within, and place thy head to the spheres of knowledge." Sorian translated.

The linguist was blown away by the Elorienne's effortless translation of the inscription. She made a mental note to ask him about it some time. The group went inside, and split up, as each of Natsu's uncles contributed information about the ruins to the archaeologists, advancing their research at an immense rate.

"That reminds me, I have Bahamut inside me to ask for help about this sort of thing." Natsu said.

"See, Natsu's so cool, he's got a real dragon inside of him!" Happy said boastfully.

Carla told him not to boast for other people, a command which Happy quickly obeyed. Somehow, Happy had become afraid of Carla. Wendy and Gajeel simply laughed.

"You can't really mean that you have the father of all dragons inside of you, right?" Troyeck said.

Rizael shot him an irritated look, as the professor again questioned an Elorienne on such a topic. The Emperor of Elorien almost felt at ease among the members of Fairy Tail, and thus felt an inclination to behave a little more recklessly, unlike his usual self. He felt young again, if one is sentimental enough to say so.

Natsu reached inside himself, and spoke to Bahamut. "Bahamut, look through my eyes. Is this really a remnant of dragon civilization?"

"This place was used in my time, as place for the Council of Dragons, to decide on issues regarding our relations with humans. It seems intact, therefore I am led to assume that the beacons are still here." Bahamut said.

"What beacons?" Natsu asked.

"The beacons are dragon lacrima connected to the spirits of dragons that have come here. There should be seven in the inner sanctum. By pressing one's head to it, one can summon the dragon connected to it. If the dragon is close enough, he or she will come here to answer the call." Bahamut said.

"Bahamut says that we need to head into the inner sanctum. He says that there should be dragon lacrima we can use to contact the dragons. Maybe Igneel, Metalicana, and Grandeeney have lacrima here." Natsu said.

"Then let's head inside!" Wendy said.

"It's been blocked by gravel and earth since we found it. We don't know what to do because we're afraid it might collapse." the professor said.

Rizael, Natsu and Sorian investigated the blocked passage to the inner sanctum.

Sorian decided to simply blast the blockage with Earth Magic, clearing it away without any collapse.

"Well, that solves your problem, doesn't it?" Sorian said.

The professor was astounded not only by the skill of the people before him, but also by their seeming disregard for the history behind this place. He simply thought it was because they encountered it so frequently in Elorien.

As Bahamut had said, the inner sanctum had seven gigantic dragon lacrima arranged in a concentric circle, like a conference table. Each was a different color. There were lacrima of different colors: iron-colored, greenish white, crimson, cerulean, and golden-black. Each glowed with a pulsating light. There was also a pair of faded lacrima with colors pure white and midnight black lacrima.

Wendy smelled the air, and said, "I can smell that Grandeeney's been here. Her scent is faint, but I can smell it. But there's also other dragon scents here, ones I don't know."

"Metalicana's smell is here too. It's kind of unsettling, too." Gajeel said.

The two Dragon Slayers looked to Natsu, to see if he detected his foster father's presence.

"Igneel was here. Recently." he said quietly.

"Recently? That means... he's near here." Wendy said.

Rizael began to inhale deeply, and upon exhaling, exuded a gentle white wave of energy. His eyes became blue, lingering that way for several minutes.

"A dragon is nearby. And several others are advancing quickly behind, converging from different directions." he said.

"We must hide, and wait." Sorian said.

"But this is a fantastic opportunity! We can study live dragons and their behavior!" Troyeck said.

Sorian shot Troyeck a look and said, "Dragons are like people. They have their own social conventions, and culture. There is very little that we don't already know about them. They are wise and powerful, however, they have no taste for uninvited guests. My guess is they will be somewhat irritable, with you and your team having trespassed here."

"But we didn't know!" the professor cried.

"I'm sure the dragons will understand, but it will take some negotiation. Right now, we need to hide in the upper balconies where the human caretakers might have slept." Natsu said, while picking up the professor by the collar of his shirt.

The whole group went to the left side of the room, looking for a staircase to the upper levels. Wendy and Natsu asked Happy and Carla to fly up and search for a passageway. The two opened the upper door, and had to push the lower door hard, as vegetation had grown over it, obscuring it from view.

When they finally made it upstairs, they retreated into the priests' rooms, wherein the archaeologists began poring over ancient books that belonged to the past residents of the rooms.

"I thought you said dragons don't like being around humans very much." Troyeck said.

"That's true, but in Elorien, it is for a different reason than in Fiore. Elorienne dragons are simply solitary creatures; they prefer to be with their own kind, if with anyone, but will mingle with humans if they must and on occasion, voluntarily. Now, enough talk. I can hear wingbeats." Natsu said.

A large hole in the ceiling of the sanctum soon became shadowed by a huge figure with wings. It had a long man that seemed to be woven from sharpened sheets of metal. Its roar was harsh and metallic.

"Metalicana..." Gajeel said in a hushed whisper.

Metalicana was soon joined by a more elegant dragon with feathery wings. Its head was uncharacteristically non-reptilian, and had a sort of mane made of bluish cilia around its neck.

"That's Grandeeney!" Wendy said, trying to rush forward, but was kept back by Carla, for fear of being compromised.

The third dragon that descended was a serpentine dragon, having no legs, and a head that had an elaborate crest, along with four fin-like wings.

"Where are Skiadrum and Weisslogia? They are usually quite punctual, despite their health." said the serpent-like dragon.

"They passed away many years ago, Leviathan. I am told that their humans killed them out of mercy. They were too old to continue living." Metalicana said in a voice that sounded like claws scraping against metal.

"I see. The Dragon King should be arriving any minute now." Leviathan said.

So sooner had the dragon said so than did a crimson mass descend through the opening in the ceiling. Its scales were polished like rubies, and its eyes glowed like flames that could become a blaze at any moment.

Natsu's face was covered in tears, as a strange combination of emotions welled up inside of him: anger, sadness, and relief that he had found his foster father. However, there was only one thing he wanted to say to the dragon who left him without an explanation.

"Igneel, you bastard!" Natsu roared at the top of his lungs, echoing through the entire ruins.

The dragons turned up to see what uncouth human had dared to speak to the Dragon King in such a way. Igneel's eyes met with Natsu's.

"So, the son of Igneel appears." the dragon said solemnly.


	9. From Darkness, Creation

_Disclaimer: I don't own Fairy Tail._

Natsu's anger and sadness overflowed into a shout that cursed Igneel for leaving him behind that day, all those years ago.

"How could you leave me behind without telling me!? You said you'd raise me until I could go home! You lied to me!" Natsu screamed.

"Natsu, calm down. I'm sure Igneel has his reasons. Every dragon does, and reserves his or her right to remain silent." Sorian said, holding his brother back while looking Igneel in the eye.

"So, you are the family that Natsu once spoke of so fondly." Igneel said in his deep and booming voice.

"Yes, Lord Igneel. I am Emperor Rizael d'Elorien. I am pleased to make your acquaintance, Dragon King. I must thank you for raising my son for so long, on your own." Rizael said.

"Consider it a favor to the child who approached me without fear, despite my fearsome reputation." Igneel said.

"Lord Igneel, who are these people?" Leviathan said.

"The one who cursed me so is my foster son, who I was forced to leave on account of the duties I was tasked with at the previous Council of Dragons. It was discovered that an evil magic was brewing in the east, unseen by the humans, and I needed to find and exterminate it." Igneel said.

"So you were the dragon that came to help us all those years ago." Rizael said.

Rizael's sons stared at their father, puzzled at his statement.

"Many years ago, before Natsu returned to us, one of the eight shrines of the Fallen's seal began to wane. Dark magic began to leak into the surrounding area, causing a huge economic slump. We determined the source was the shrine of Iridia, the Fallen of Catastrophe. Her magic caused things to go wrong, and was the original form of magic that manipulates chance-related events." Rizael explained.

"The Council feared that the magic would spread through Fiore and the entire world. It was decided that we would intervene to help the humans reseal Iridia. I was forced to burn the land using holy flames that would reinvigorate the land. For a time, it seemed things were peaceful." Igneel said.

"Until recently, as I have felt the beginnings of darkness in the mountain ranges farther to the north of Magnolia." Grandeeney said.

"Grandeeney!" Wendy said, jumping onto the back of the dragon, embracing her while in tears.

"I thought I caught your scent, my sweet child. I'm sorry I had to leave you. I needed to help the Council." Grandeeney said.

"If yours are here... my iron-headed son should also be here." Metalicana said, staring up at the rooms overhead.

"So you noticed I was here, Metalicana!" Gajeel said, while dive-head-butting Metalicana's forehead, to which he responded in kind.

"You have not changed in the years I was gone, have you, Gajeel? As impulsive and stubborn as ever. I notice that your eyes are red, like mine. A preferable change over your previous, soulless gray eyes." the Iron Dragon said arrogantly.

The three Dragon Slayers' reunions were cut short, as the Council of Dragons commenced. The table-like platform they congregated around opened to reveal the shell of a dragon's body. Its eyes were empty, and seemed faded in color.

"So, Skiadrum and Weisslogia are dead. Which means that we are three members short. Lord Bahamut's spirit has yet to return his body." Metalicana said.

"_How unobservant you are, Metalicana. It has been eons, but you underestimate my persistence._" Bahamut's voice echoed through the sanctum.

Without warning, Bahamut's spirit removed itself from Natsu's body. The blue flames entered the dragon's shell, which then rose, its eyes reignited. Bahamut now appeared in his physical form, unlike his ethereal avatar that Natsu could summon from himself. The central, gold and black lacrima now glowed brightly. The four dragons bowed their heads to their creator.

"So that's what you searched for, all this time... It was your body." Natsu said.

"Yes... I remember the contract. You made a covenant with me: to harbor me within yourself, until I could return to my body. In exchange, you could use my power." Bahamut said, in a booming, layered voice.

"It is our honor to welcome you back to your original form. Forgive us, but we must continue this conference." Leviathan said.

Bahamut nodded in consent. He mounted himself upon his pedestal, and began to draw energy from the air, to allow his atrophied body to recuperate.

"As Grandeeney had mentioned earlier, we have felt yet another darkness stirring. Many wizards rally to its cause, and it seeks to consume the world." Leviathan said.

"How are we to stop it?" Rizael said.

"We must discover its source, and its motives." Igneel said.

Suddenly, Sorian fired a blast of light at one of the pillars near Leviathan.

"Show yourself, intruder. You are not welcome in this sacred place." Sorian said to the figure hiding behind the pillar.

A familiar woman revealed herself to the group. Her hair was long, glossy, and black. She had decorated her face with black lipstick and red eyeshadow, giving her a satanic appearance.

"Minerva Orland! From Sabertooth!" Wendy said.

"You... You tortured Lucy during the Grand Magic Games! I swear, I will kill you for what you did!" Natsu said.

"Yes... that weakling of a Celestial Wizard. She's hardly worth keeping alive... Or is she your lover? As for Sabertooth, I left that foolish guild to be led by those sentimental Dragon Slayers, Sting and Rogue. I am now a Dark Wizard, a member of the Order of Shadows!" she said.

Before anyone could respond, Natsu attacked Minerva with Roar of the Fire Dragon. It missed, and Minerva retaliated with Shade Magic: Shadow Star, which fired four-pointed stars that exploded with dark energy on impact.

"I can tell you've grown a bit, but you're still no match for me." she said cruelly.

"What makes you say that?" Natsu said.

"For one, I've also grown stronger: I have new magic. Also, I don't plan to be here long, I was simply here on espionage. Thanks to my time here, I might be able to get the seals off of one of the shrines. This world will drown in the darkness, and the Fallen shall rise again!" she said, before vanishing into a corridor of shadow.

"Well, now we know part of our enemies' objective. They plan to release the Fallen to use their power to their own ends. It matters not what those ends are, we must stop them!" Bahamut said.

The other dragons agreed, and consented to leaving the inner sanctum sealed off. They could not have any more intruders there. Before the group left, Bahamut stopped Natsu.

"Natsu, as gratitude for keeping me inside of yourself, I shall forge yet another contract with you. I shall serve you as a loyal guardian, and I will come to your aid whenever you call. Until the end of time. Trust in me: you and your friends shall meet your dragons again." Bahamut said, before disintegrating into light particles, and vanishing.

A strange mark, that appeared to be a black fang encircled in blue, appeared on Natsu's right hand, but he somehow knew that it was connected to Bahamut. Natsu felt a mixture of sadness and satisfaction, having to part with Igneel once more, but also knowing that his foster father was alive and well.

When Rizael and Sorian finished sealing the inner sanctum, the Fairy Tail group and Natsu's uncles left the ruins, tentatively renamed the Dragon Temple of Magnolia. Natsu's uncles retired to their hotel rooms, after meeting up with their wives outside the bridal store in Magnolia. Lucy was nowhere to be seen, but Erza told them that Farienne, Juvia, Lucy, and Levy had gone to Lucy's apartment to discuss female matters. Happy and Carla decided to catch the next train toward the Exceed Settlement, Panther Lily having called them to discuss something. Gajeel headed back to his house and Wendy decided to linger.

"Despite the recent events, I believe it is necessary to have the wedding at any cost." Rizael said.

"But, Father, this is a matter of utmost importance. We need to inform the Elorien Army of the situation. It is crucial that we set up defense perimeters!" Sorian warned his father.

"I understand that. However, I am suspicious of Riamat Jadis. His suggestion to have a meeting between his daughter and one of you was almost too convenient for him. He has, or rather had, an ulterior motive. I've been feeling a dark presence here in Magnolia since we arrived." Sorian said.

"I'm familiar with almost every scent in this town now. There's one scent that is unfamiliar, and it's disconcerting." Wendy said.

"We need to tell the old man, Wendy. Tell him to have Fairy Tail keep a watch for suspicious people." Natsu said.

"In the meantime, I will send a letter to Uraliat, and tell the regent to put the army on guard and start monitoring Riamat's activities. I shall also send for the priest." Rizael said.

"Can we really have the marriage when the situation is like this?" Natsu said.

"My son, in a time like this, unity is the most important thing. Love is more powerful than any magic. That is a virtue that has been passed down from generation to generation in our dynasty. Never forget it." Rizael said.

A few days later, the restoration of the Dragon Temple was nearly complete, and would be finished in time for the wedding. Gifts, decorations, and other preparations were also on the verge of completion. Lucy and Natsu sat with Rizael and Sorian waiting for both Farienne and the priest.

The priest arrived on the express train from Uraliat, on the newly built railway between Uraliat and Crocus, and on to Magnolia, courtesy of Heartfilia Railways. He was an wizened old man, dressed in simple gray robes that bore the insignia of the Dragon Priesthood. With him were two nuns in equally unornamented full-body robes, that carried cases of holy items, clothes, and minimal material possessions.

"We appreciate your rushing here on such short notice, Father Girozo." Rizael said.

"Not at all, your Eminence. It is my honor to perform the ceremony of yet another of the d'Elorien line. How is the Lady Farienne?" he said.

"You can ask my mother herself, because here she comes now." Sorian said.

The two turned around to see Farienne coming through the door in a free-flowing white and silver gown. She bowed slightly before the priest.

"Rise, my daughter. May the heavens watch over you for eternity. I trust you are doing well?" Girozo said.

"I am well, Father Girozo. I too appreciate your coming here." Farienne said.

Girozo turned toward Lucy and Natsu, giving the two a good-natured smile.

"Greetings, Prince Natsu. I am Father Girozo, and I was the man who conducted your parents' and grandparents' ceremonies many years ago." he said.

"It is a pleasure to meet you. This is my fiancée, Lucy Heartfilia." Natsu said.

Lucy bowed slightly, saying she was delighted to meet him.

"Please go with Miss Deira. She will be the diviner of this wedding. A diviner predicts the course of a marriage, auspicious days, and other important information." Girozo said.

Farienne, Rizael, and Sorian told Girozo about the state of the Dragon Temple. He asked them to take him there, so he and his other assistant could start preparing for the ceremony the next day. There was much to be done before then. Natsu and Lucy, in the meantime, worked with the diviner.

Deira asked them their birthdates, their backgrounds, their astrological signs, what magic they used, and all sorts of other things. Other people began to watch the divination occur, as she rapidly referenced and cross-referenced her books on divination and future events, creating list after list of possible outcomes. Juvia, Lisanna, Mirajane, and Erza were captivated by the spectacle.

"You really are something. And you can do this for a living? It must be nice to be able to predict the future." Lucy said.

"I do this because it is my destiny, created by Ahala, goddess of fate and destiny. She imbued me with this gift when I was born. Ever since I was a little girl, I knew what would happen before it did, but I never used it for my own benefit, because my mother told me it would be wrong to do so. The curse of this gift is knowing all the catastrophe that lies ahead, and not being able to stop it. We diviners are forbidden from revealing the future so liberally. It requires a powerful force to change the course of time." Deira said.

Lucy and all the others at the table fell silent, as Deira continued to work. She spread astrological charts of the skies on the table, and the meanings of certain magics in the world. When she was finally done, she used her Reversal Magic to return everything to her bag. It was not quite like using the Ark of Time, which literally reversed and accelerated time.

Three sheets of paper remained, which detailed Natsu and Lucy's marriage, supposedly.

"Firstly: your marriage will be permanent and happy. However, you will experience trials and tribulations unlike any others, ones you must face together for the sake of your family." Deira said.

The two nodded, gesturing for Deira to continue.

"Within the first year of marriage, you will have had your first child. It will be a dramatic and painful event, for it shall come unexpectedly." she said.

Lucy and Natsu gripped their hands together tightly. That news made them nervous.

"However, a calamitous event shall transpire, and it will be up to the Prince to stop it. Your marriage will be eventful, as you can tell. I can reveal no more." she said.

The tension built up until then suddenly faded, the couple letting out a simultaneous sigh. Deira handed Lucy a list of important dates to observe, which they promised to do.

Lucy and Natsu went to the Elorienne Embassy to check the progress of the Ambassador's Residence. The man who was overseeing the project and had taken Natsu's designs into account, and said that when the magic constructors arrived the following day, the house would be ready for moving in the day after the wedding. The two returned to Lucy's apartment, where Lucy informed the landlady that she would be moving into her husband-to-be's home soon, and that she would pay the rent, even though the month hadn't finished yet.

"Lucy... About what Deira said... What are we gonna do if these bad things really do happen?" Natsu said worriedly.

"We're going to get through this. We have to, for the sake of our family, like she said. No matter what comes our way, I know that you'll be there to help me along with everyone else." she said with a smile.

Lucy's smile made his heart melt, because not only did he love her, he worried about her. Every day, he thought about Lucy and her well-being. He dreaded the sickness that took Lucy's mother, and was afraid it might take her too. He would do anything to stop it, even if it cost him the world.

The two went to bed, and Natsu held her while she slept. He suddenly started to feel a strange impulse, and his heart began to beat faster, getting closer to her chest while they slept.

"Lucy... I desire you, and want you to be a part of my life forever. Let's make something that will last forever." Natsu whispered into her ear.

"I love you, Natsu." she said, before her lips covered his.

This blissful oblivion devolved into mindless pleasures and the two soon became one, in mind and body. Life sprouted from the depths of the abyss, and resonated within Lucy's body, putting into motion the loom of fate to weave the story of the next of the d'Elorien line.

**_Note: Two things. Firstly, I apologize for going back on my word about not using anymore FFX stuff. I couldn't really help it because I'm running out of names I can make up. Thus, I made it a crossover, in a very loose sense. Secondly, I know that the ending is thinly veiled as to what it really is. I wasn't willing to write it out explicitly because it would completely break the tone of the story to write it that way._**


	10. The Wedding is Crashed

_Disclaimer: I don't own Fairy Tail._

Natsu woke up the next morning in a slight daze. He noticed that he was still hugging Lucy, and she was still asleep. He smiled, but it faded as soon as he saw that their clothes were on the floor. He came to a terrible realization, and felt ashamed of himself. Natsu gave into his impulses, and possibly hurt Lucy in doing so.

Natsu's faced became florid, as he rushed to pick up his clothes, and take a bath. Lucy woke up to see that Natsu was sitting at the table facing the other way, having already taken his bath.

"Please hurry, Lucy. It's not decent for a man to see his wife naked on the day of his wedding like this." Natsu said.

"Natsu... did we really do it, last night?" Lucy said.

"Please, Lucy, hurry and take a bath. It hurts to think about what I've done to you." Natsu said, with tears almost coming to his eyes.

Suddenly, Lucy hugged him from behind, despite being naked. Natsu felt embarrassed at the scene and feeling.

"Lucy, this isn't right! We can't do this on our wedding day!" Natsu said, allowing himself a few tears.

"Natsu, please. I don't want you to feel that you've caused me any pain. In fact, I feel ecstatic. We might have our first baby sooner than we thought. Even though I yelled at you and Happy whenever you picked on me, I never felt that you were making me suffer. So don't be so hard on yourself. Be a little more like you used to be. I miss the reckless, devil-may-care Natsu. You can't expect to be able to fix every person's problems." Lucy said, as she started walking into the bathroom.

When she shut the door, Natsu whispered to himself, "I worry, because I don't want those predictions Deira made to come true. I couldn't live with myself if you had to suffer when I could have done something. I'll be that great power that can change fate."

Natsu wiped his eyes with his sleeve, and waited for an hour before his best man (Gray), father, and Sorian arrived. They briefed him on the wedding procedures on the way to the Dragon Temple. He was to be sanctified in holy water by the priest, Girozo, and dressed in the groom's chamber, and would wait until he was called, so the ceremony could begin. Natsu left a note for Lucy saying that his mother, Deira, her maid of honor (Erza), and the other Fairy Tail bridesmaids would come for her later on.

As if on cue, the bride's escort arrived as soon as Lucy finished reading the note. Farienne explained that the bride would arrive at the altar before the groom, to declare her a full-fledged married woman, freeing her from the vow of chastity she was to have taken at twelve years of age. She would wear what Fiore brides called a wedding dress, in order to emphasize her purity and virginity. Lucy would then, traditionally, be led down the aisle by her father, but in her case, Makarov would take that role. After the initial ceremony, she would be taken into the bride's chamber, in which her bridesmaids would dress her in her gown and adorn her with jewels. The maid of honor would lead her to meet the groom at the altar, all the while having a veil conceal her face.

After putting on her gown of purity, as Farienne called it, Lucy was led to the Dragon Temple in a procession. The townspeople cheered and whistled. Even the two men from the canal wished Lucy well. She was showered with flower petals while the procession marched towards the Temple. It was a tiring march, but Juvia cleared Lucy's sweat from her body, and Wendy covered the scent with a perfume dispersed by her Wind Magic.

When Lucy entered the Temple, she felt like she was walking into the guild. She was surrounded by friends and allies who would fight with her to the end. She felt safe, and at home. When she reached the first arch, she met with Makarov.

"Despite having never had a daughter, I feel as though I am letting go of one right now. You, Lucy Heartfilia, have been an invaluable asset to the guild in your time. Go now, as Lucy Heartfilia, and come back as Lucy d'Elorien." Makarov said, with some shaking in his voice.

Lucy laughed a little, "Thank you, Master. You have been like a second father to me along with everyone else at the guild, and helped me along when my actual father passed away. It elates me that you're here today, along with everyone else, to celebrate my wedding."

"Now, now, Lucy. Don't get sententious on me, yet. You sound like you're speaking at your funeral. Now, chin up, it's time to go forward, into the future." Makarov said.

Lucy passed down the center of the restored Dragon Temple, which was like a gold and silver palace, with a foundation of marble. Everything shined beautifully, and held the sanctity of a church, yet the profound silence and emotion of a temple that had endured the winds of time. The altar was centered around a fire pit that blazed brightly, with its tips reaching fifteen feet in the air. It was built from the floor up to seven feet off the ground. Father Girozo, Deira, and the other nun sat solemnly at the top, waiting to anoint the bride.

Makarov, when he had to let go of Lucy's hand, found himself hesitating, but built up the strength to let go without crying. Members of the audience and the bridesmaids shed tears as Lucy ascended to the apex of the altar, to womanhood.

While the anointing ceremony took place, Natsu paced around in the groom's chamber in his scarlet and golden robes, adorned with a crown of silver laurels.

"What if she gets ambushed by someone on the way? What if she gets lost? What if her dress is ruined!?" Natsu said.

"Stop stressing out. There's no need to sweat over the small stuff. Lucy will be fine, and she has her Celestial Spirits to help her if something happens. More importantly, she has us. This is your wedding day. Loosen up!" Gray said, encouragingly.

Natsu sighed, and sat down. He thought about all the wedding guests. All of the people in his family had come to celebrate the wedding of the once long-lost second prince. His mother, father, and Sorian, would be in the front row, silently watching him become a man by marrying the woman he loved, not the one picked out for him. All of his guildmates were here, and also the allies he fought alongside when Acnologia came to destroy Tenrou Island. His mind wandered all over the place, and especially lingered over the fact he might have made Lucy pregnant. He remembered Lucy's advice, and tried to stop blaming things on himself, and to be the Natsu that decried guilt every time.

Suddenly, he noticed a dark shadow in the window that let light in the room. He felt an unearthly presence. He wouldn't allow a single person to ruin this day, especially for Lucy. The Order of Shadows that Minerva had mentioned... He was going to destroy them all.

Then, he heard Gray's voice in the midst of his thinking. Gray was telling him that it was time to go to Lucy. Gray wished him luck, saying that he was right behind Natsu. Gray held Lucy's wedding band for Natsu to put on her hand, and would hand it off to him after the vows were made.

When Natsu went out of his chamber, he was met with a wave of applause. He smiled as he ascended the stairs to the top of the altar, and saw Lucy dressed in a flowing dress of crimson and gold silk, with intricate filigree designs, and her neck and ears were adorned with golden earrings and an intricately designed ruby pendant suspended by a gold chain. Natsu's face became flushed with red, and heard Gray snicker slightly behind him. Erza stood behind Lucy, with Natsu's band in her palm. The audience then stood up to listen to the priest's proclamations.

"Gathered friends and family: we are here to bind the destinies of two lovers in the sanctity of the dragons that have walked these halls! Once I ordain this marriage, their vows cannot be undone! Are there any who object to this union?" Father Girozo said from atop the altar.

The room was silent. No objections were made.

"Very well. Do you, Natsu d'Elorien, Second Prince of the Empire of Elorien, son of Emperor Rizael and Empress Farienne, promise to protect and cherish Lucy Heartfilia? To keep her close to you, even in times of despair and chaos? Do you promise to keep this vow until the end of your days?" Girozo said to Natsu.

"I do." Natsu said, his heart beginning to beat faster. The moment of truth was approaching.

"And do you, Lucy Heartfilia, daughter of Jude and Layla Heartfilia, founders of Heartfilia Railways, vow to support and love Natsu d'Elorien? Will you be at his side, even when the world seems bleak, and the skies turn to fire? Do you promise to keep this vow until the end of your days?" Girozo said to Lucy.

"I do." Lucy said.

Nodding his head, Girozo said, "Now, gathered friends and family, let us seal these vows in the flames of the Dragon God Veratos. May he grace this union with happiness and perpetuity."

Lucy and Natsu stepped into the flame of the altar, which parted at their feet. Natsu embraced Lucy and kissed her, causing the flames to fly throughout the Temple, illuminating every corner of the room. The crowd erupted into cheering and tears, as euphoria overflowed. The new couple slipped each other's wedding band onto the other's finger. The sheer joy that permeated people's hearts in the room was suddenly shattered by the breaking of a window above the altar.

"How sentimental! A wedding, the union of two souls in holy matrimony... What a bunch of bullshit." the voice said in a high, deranged voice.

The man that stood above everyone was dressed in garish, unsightly clothing. He looked like a jester, a clown. His face was scarred in several places.

"Who are you, and how dare you desecrate this place!" Farienne demanded.

"I am none other than Erius, the deposed prince of Halrat! You should remember, my dear Empress! You were the one who told the advisors to suggest I abdicate! They said I was too violent, too deranged... So, now, I'm going to get payback for what they did, what _you_ did! I'm going to help our leader drown the world in the true darkness!" he said maniacally, as he descended from the windowsill. He walked toward the crowd, which slowly backed away. He fired blasts of dark lightning, bringing parts of the ceiling down, and began shooting green blasts of magic energy.

"Erius! You'd better get out of here or you're going to get burned to a crisp!" Natsu threatened.

The dark wizard chuckled, as he jumped up to the altar, and grabbed Lucy at her torso and said, "Ah, my liege, young Prince Natsu! Excuse my appearance, but allow me to extend my congratulations to you on your wedding. She is a quite a catch isn't she?"

"Get your hands off her! Gray, help me out!" Natsu growled, while charging his fists with fire. Gray readied his Ice Make Magic.

"Oh, just let me leave you with one teensy gift! I imagine you want a baby soon, so I'm going to let you have one, now! Hand of Demise: The Wheel of Misfortune!" Erius said, sinking his fingers into Lucy, while his hand was covered in dark energy.

Lucy screamed in agony, and was thrust toward Natsu. Erius laughed hysterically, as he jumped back up to the window.

"It will all be consumed in the chaos and destruction that will come from freeing the Fallen and using the teachings of Zeref! Destroy..., destroy..., destroy everything! Nothing can exist in true happiness! It is illusory, for the only truth is death and darkness!" he said, before leaving.

The Temple once again lay in ruins. People scrambled out of the Temple, while some stayed to help remedy the damage. Wendy and Mirajane came quickly to help administer medical attention.

"What's wrong with her? What did that bastard do to Lucy!?" Natsu yelled.

"This isn't good, Natsu. Lucy's been afflicted with some sort of spell that messes with her body functions." Mira said.

After a few minutes, Wendy gasped. The group stood in silence, as they waited for her to speak.

"Natsu... Lucy's... pregnant. And by the looks of it, six months in. Erius's magic accelerated gestational growth. Lucy is going to suffer unimaginable pain, with the pregnancy rushed this way. Master always said the miracle of life shouldn't be tampered with. There's nothing I can do." Wendy said tearfully.

Natsu was speechless. His impulsiveness had caused Lucy to become pregnant. And now a dark wizard had somehow made her pregnancy go faster! Everything was spiraling out of control. Deira's first prediction came true: the first birth would dramatic and unexpected. The first of many trials had begun for the newlyweds Natsu and Lucy d'Elorien.

**_Note: Kind of sucky ending. I'm not terribly proud of it, but at least I got across what I needed. BTW, if you don't know or didn't notice, Erius is reminiscent of Kefka Palazzo from Final Fantasy VI. It was kind of unconscious, and by the time I'd noticed it, I wasn't willing to change it. Reviews, please! I really appreciate the positive comments so far!_**


	11. The Beginning of the End

_Disclaimer: I don't own Fairy Tail or Final Fantasy X._

_Setting: At the Ambassador Residence in Magnolia, about three months after the wedding..._

"Wendy, would you mind getting me this list of groceries for me? I have to make dinner tonight specially for Natsu's family. They're arriving in Magnolia tonight." Lucy said.

"No problem, Lucy. We can't have nine-month pregnant woman going to get the groceries herself. You just stay in bed, and I'll check your condition when I get back." Wendy said, as she went out.

Lucy carefully got out of bed, as she took a walk around the gardens. She summoned Lyra to play a simple tune for both herself and the baby that gestated inside her, not being able to sing very well, in her opinion. As she usually did, she thought back to her wedding day, and the seeming catastrophe that occurred. Although people were worried, especially Natsu, Lucy had taken it in stride, having decided to try to recover as fast as possible to have the baby.

When Erius had accelerated the period of gestation that day, Lucy felt sick. She was suddenly robbed of months worth of nutrients. She became pale and weak. Wendy and Natsu rushed Lucy to the Magnolia hospital. The doctors said it was an unthinkable phenomenon, as no recorded magic could do such a thing. Even doctors trained to combat magical maladies were at a loss for words. The only remedy they could prescribe was to have Lucy eat much more frequently, and take massive doses of dietary supplements. A magical doctor would come by every so often to monitor her health, and make records of Lucy's case so that it could be documented.

In the beginning, different people had come to watch over Lucy and make sure nothing bad happened. Wendy, after three weeks, settled down enough with her jobs, having saved enough money to last her for a while. She decided to help Lucy out, as she was training to become a magically specialized doctor for Fairy Tail, while also continuing her combat training in the field as a wizard. Her goal was to set up a permanent clinic for Fairy Tail wizards, and with the help of Porlyusica, it was becoming a reality.

Lucy also thought about how much her life had changed since getting married, and becoming pregnant. Sure, her life was more stagnant than it was before, but she didn't mind. She lived with her husband in relative peace, after all. Natsu and Lucy would occasionally head to the guild hall either when Natsu wasn't too busy with his ambassador work or Lucy was feeling able to walk around. However, Lucy's life wasn't terribly unexciting; she had finally published her novel, with encouragement from Levy. Some critics thought it was exaggerated, but with approbations from several notable figures in Fiore, _The Life of a Fairy Tail Wizard_ became a best seller, topping the readers' lists.

Suddenly, the doorbell rang, and Lyra stopped playing to go get the door, as Lucy couldn't move too quickly. When Lyra opened the door, she saw Natsu accompanied by Juvia, Gray, and Glacia. Natsu led them into the parlor, and offered some food to them, which they politely declined. Lucy was helped in by Lyra.

"Lyra, don't worry about me. If I need some help, I'll ask Virgo. Don't try to do more than you can. It's unhealthy." Lucy said kindly.

"That, coming from you, isn't very reassuring, Lucy. You can barely stand without help. Anyway, I'll tell everyone how you are." Lyra said.

"Thank you, Lyra." Lucy said, before she dismissed her.

"So Lucy, how are you holding up with the baby?" Juvia asked.

"I'm fine, but I see that you have another one on the way!" Lucy said, pointing out Juvia's slightly swollen stomach.

"Daddy, why is Aunt Lucy's tummy so big?" Glacia asked her father.

"Not now, Glacey. I'll try to explain when we get home." Gray said.

"Are you getting all your nutrients and staying healthy?" Juvia said with concern.

"Wendy has been obsessively monitoring my condition. Even if I wanted to skip out on the unbelievable amounts of medication I need to take, she'd have my hide. I've seen that my face is getting back to its original color in the mirror. My skin isn't so pale anymore. Wendy says that I should be fine very soon." Lucy said.

"Well, that's good to hear. Everyone at the guild's been worrying. This news will take a load off." Gray said.

Then, Wendy walked in the door, greeting Gray, Juvia, and Glacia. Wendy had a two bags of groceries in her arms, and went into the kitchen.

"Oh, is it already six? Natsu's family will be here soon! I need to start on dinner!" Lucy said.

"Let me help you, Lucy! You shouldn't push yourself." Juvia said.

As the three women started work in the kitchen, Gray said to his daughter, "Every time Mommy starts helping someone in the kitchen, we end up staying for dinner. I just wish she was able to cook at home more often. She's almost too helpful, sometimes."

"I heard that, Gray!" Juvia said from the kitchen, sending a chill down Gray's back.

"Mommy's scary when she hears you say that, Daddy." Glacia said, while laughing.

"That she is..." Gray said, as he began to tickle her.

Natsu came downstairs from his bath, and saw that Gray and Glacia were the only ones in the parlor.

"Where are Juvia and Lucy?" Natsu asked.

"Lucy said she needed to start making dinner for your family, so Juvia wanted to help her out." Gray said.

"OK... By the way, I wanted to ask you something: what's it like, when your wife is giving birth?" Natsu said.

Gray sighed, and said, "It's confusing. You don't know what to do except support her, but you know you want to do more. She's on the bed, in so much agony, and you feel like the world is crumbling around you. But don't give up on her, I said to myself. I willed myself to stay by her side, and help her through it. At the end of the day, Juvia was alive, and we took our daughter home."

Natsu sat there silently. The two wizards chatted about other business for a while. Glacia wandered off to play, while Gray warned her not to leave the house. Gray talked about how tedious it was to have to take the trains everywhere, because he would be gone for days at a time. Juvia also was out on jobs by herself frequently. Neither of them could be out at the same time, or they'd have to hire a babysitter. Last time that happened, Elfman wound up frozen and Lisanna was trying to break the ice with one of her Take Over forms.

"I almost wish she'd grow up a little faster. One day, everyone's going to have kids running around, and someone's going to have to keep them in line, while we're all out working. I guess it's just the life of a family of wizards." Gray said.

"My work is piling up a bit. We have to start putting together laws on obtaining a visa to enter Fiore, if you're an Elorienne citizen. Because Elorien is so big, we have already have inter-provincial passports, making travel more like traveling between different countries." Natsu said.

Natsu thought about how his life had changed since he got married to Lucy. He was generally happier, and more calm, especially compared to his old life. His job in his office at the embassy was somewhat tiresome, as it consisted of large amounts of paperwork concerning trade shipments, and international laws concerning Fiore and Elorien. Natsu found himself having to go abroad on trips, leaving Lucy with Wendy for a while.

Natsu looked at the clock, and saw that it was already seven. He had to go to the train station to meet his family. He asked Gray to come with him to help bring their luggage.

The train came in ten minutes after the two had come, and they saw Farienne, followed by a woman with hazel-colored hair. She carried a two-year-old child in her arms. It appeared to be a boy, with short black hair. Natsu recognized the other woman as Sorian's wife, Amalia.

Sorian and Rizael followed behind with a few bags. The family was dressed in their usual finery, although Amalia wore a traditional Aurorian royal dress. It flowed out from her waist and down to her ankles, like a ball-gown, except not as big. A fur shawl-like accessory was spread across her shoulders, which Sorian took off, as it was considerably warmer in Fiore.

"Hello, Mother, Father, and Sorian. Greetings, Lady Amalia, how do you do today?" Natsu said.

"I'm fine, Natsu. There's no need to call me Lady. We are in-laws now, are we not?" Amalia said.

"Indeed. Ah yes, let me introduce you to one of my guildmates, Gray Fullbuster. He's among the Fairy Tail elite, and one of the most requested wizards in the guild." Natsu said proudly.

"I wouldn't call myself elite, although I do receive many requests specifically of me. It's a pleasure to meet you, my Lady." Gray said, bowing slightly.

"How polite! From the stories Sorian tells me, I assumed that Fairy Tail was simply a rowdy group of powerful wizards." Amalia said.

"It appears that you finally had your child, Amalia." Natsu said.

"Yes. His name is Auron. In Auroria, we have a legend of a guardian that accompanied a High Summoner to a city at the end of the world. His name was Auron as well, and he was a valiant man. It is our hope that our son grows up to that reputation." she said, caressing her son's face.

"He's quite endearing. Look, he's waking up!" Natsu said.

The baby opened his eyes, and looked confusedly at the man staring down at him. He reached out for Natsu's scarf but Natsu drew back.

"Sorry, little one, but I can't let you have this." Natsu said, holding on to his scarf.

The family headed back to the Ambassador Residence, where they saw that Virgo had set the table for dinner.

"Welcome home, my Lord." Virgo said, with her usual, unemotional face.

"How apt, considering that you are a prince now. And that makes Lucy a princess, because she's your wife." Rizael said.

Glacia ran in, saying hello to the visitors she didn't know. Gray picked her up and told her to be more polite when around strangers. Farienne and Amalia laughed, saying she was a sweet girl.

When the d'Elorien and Fullbusters sat down at the table, Lucy walked in, using Virgo and Wendy as crutches.

"My, Lucy! You made us dinner in this condition? You shouldn't have!" Farienne said.

"It's fine, Mother. I have no problem doing this. And, hello Sorian, and Father." Lucy said, as she sat down next to Farienne.

Amalia and Lucy were introduced to each other. Auron was set down on the ground to play with Glacia. Amalia and Juvia began giving Lucy advice on when she gave birth, and early childhood guidance.

"Make sure the baby gets enough sleep, or you will lose some, too." Juvia said.

"Also, when your child is about one year old, you should play with them as often as you can. If you plan on having them speak multiple languages, speak only one at first, or you will confuse them. I speak Aurorian to Auron most of the time, but Sorian doesn't speak it, so when Sorian plays with him, I will speak in Elorienne, or Fiorean, whichever you call it. (Note: Fiore and Elorien speak the same language. For the sake of simplicity, I will refer to it as Fioric. Other provinces of the empire do not speak the same language.)." Amalia said.

In a similar situation, Sorian and Gray gave Natsu advice on how to be a good father, in terms of whether it was going to be a boy or a girl.

"Boys are generally more feisty when they're awake. And they're picky, especially when it comes to food. Boys like attention, but don't give too much, or they'll come to expect it when they're older." Sorian said.

"Girls are quiet, but don't leave them alone for too long. They'll start crying if no one plays with them. If she inherits magic, things can get... destructive." Gray said.

"That goes for boys as well, little brother. Auron's been showing signs of being able to use Holy Magic." Sorian said, somewhat worriedly, perhaps contemplating potential destruction to the palace.

Virgo and Lyra began serving the dinner Lucy and Juvia had made, which both families relished greatly. After dinner, they retired to the parlor to talk about naming.

"Have you two decided on a name?" Juvia asked.

"We haven't really given it much thought, given the circumstances, and the fact Natsu is busy most of the time while I'm bedridden." Lucy said.

"In Elorien, we traditionally have a name determined by the diviner from the wedding. I assume Deira gave you a list of potential names, for boys and girls?" Farienne asked.

Virgo retrieved the list from Lucy's drawer, which Farienne and Lucy pored over. They discussed the sound of different names and meanings.

"Celesta, if it's a girl, sounds nice." Lucy said.

"Ah, very good choice! Celesta is the name of the maiden that dances with the stars, adored by all who meet her." Farienne said.

"If it's a boy, I think Valion is a strong, brave-sounding name. It reminds of all of Natsu's qualities!" Lucy said.

"It's rather common among families in Elorien. Why don't we ask Amalia about Elorien-Aurorian names?" Farienne said.

"What are those?" Lucy asked.

"Due to the time annexed to Elorien, the Aurorian language has begun to borrow words from our language, at least the dialects near the border. It might be a departure from the list's recommendations, but it will be fine." Farienne said.

The two asked Amalia what name to choose, and she recommended Braska, because it was the name of the high summoner in Aurorian legend, and it was a sort of lingual counterpart to the name Baeresk in Elorien, which was derived from a word meaning, "child of destiny," or, "light illuminating the heavens." Lucy liked the meaning, and she loved the nobility of the name.

"Ah yes! Lucy, we've brought you two gifts from Elorien, for you and your child." Rizael said.

Rizael revealed a blue, gold-ringed spherical object from his coat pocket. He caused it to expand, making a sort of portal that he set up in the garden, under the grape arbors. Rizael explained that this privately accessible device would allow Natsu and his family to go to the portal on the other side, in the Diamond Palace in Elorien. It was more convenient than going by train, but it could only be used by people in Natsu's family, and people to whom Natsu entrusted a special key.

"To demonstrate, I will bring my gift through the portal." Rizael said.

He walked through the portal, with Sorian behind him. After a minute or two, they began bringing a large black piano emblazoned with the imperial crest on its lid.

"We believe an artistic tradition in every family is important for fostering an active, flexible mind, especially for the practice of magic. Your brother and I both learned to play music, Natsu, so I will have a private tutor sent here to teach your child when he or she is of age." Rizael said.

"You've got the baby's life planned out before it's even born!" Farienne said.

"Well, without Lucy and others, the baby might turn out to be a wild, reckless wizard like his father." Sorian said.

"Give me some credit! I'm responsible with my ambassador duties, aren't I?" Natsu said.

"That reminds me... Natsu, can I have word with you in your office?" Sorian said.

The two brothers went upstairs while the Fullbuster family left, having to put Glacia to sleep, leaving the others downstairs to chat.

While closing the door, Sorian said, "There's some trouble brewing the outer provinces, brother."

"I guessed as much. Rumors are that more Dark Guilds are joining together. It could be something to do with the Order of Shadows. The Grand Magic Games are coming up again, which means they could show up." Natsu said.

"They said they wanted to free the Fallen in order to bring the world darkness. We cannot allow that. Just keep that in mind. Mention it to the Magic Council." Sorian said.

Suddenly, they heard a scream from downstairs. The two ran downstairs to see what was happening. Lucy was on the floor, clutching her stomach. The baby was coming. Wendy, Juvia and Virgo rushed her to the master bedroom. Farienne sent for a doctor, while Amalia helped give Lucy moral support. Unfortunately, the doctor wasn't available, forcing Wendy to perform the delivery.

The room was prepped, and Wendy had everyone, including herself, sanitize. Juvia and Amalia began encouraging Lucy to push, as Lucy kept coming close to fainting. Virgo was in position to pull the baby from the womb. Wendy had to keep a continuous stream of healing magic to keep Lucy from fainting and experiencing pain. Then, Natsu rushed in, and clutched Lucy's hand.

"Lucy, come on! Push! Do it for the baby, for us!" he said.

Lucy's screams persisted, echoing inside Natsu's mind. He willed himself to hear her cry out in pain, in order to show that he was committed. Three hours flew by, although it felt like an eternity of blurred hearing. It was long into the night when the screaming stopped. Natsu opened his eyes, and saw a small, redness in Wendy's arms. He saw Lucy motionless on the bed, and was speechless.

"Relax, Natsu. She's just sleeping. Don't worry about the baby, it's alive and well." Wendy said.

"Tell me: is it a boy or a girl?" he asked.

"Both." Wendy said.

Natsu's vision slowly began to focus again, the red form separating into two distinct bodies. Lucy had given birth to twins! Natsu was relieved, and took his two children from Wendy's arms.

"So, Braska and Celesta, right? Those are the names Mama picked for you? I'm your Daddy!" Natsu said with tears on his face.

"Natsu...?" Lucy said weakly.

Natsu walked over to her bedside, and listened closely.

"Natsu... Let me see my children..." Lucy said.

Natsu handed the two newborns to Lucy, setting them carefully beside her. Lucy caressed them, as they let out soft hums and cries. Lucy's heart trembled at the fact that she had brought two new lives into the world. She was happy for both of their lives, but she was also fearful for the dangerous world they had been born into.


	12. The Final Journey Begins

_Disclaimer: I don't own Fairy Tail or Final Fantasy X._

Timeframe: A month after Lucy gave birth...

"Oh! Braska and Celesta are so cute!" Levy said.

The two month-old children were adored by everyone in the guild. Every day, Lucy and Natsu would bring their children to the guild. It takes a village to raise a child, as some say. Or a guild to raise two, in this case. People from every part of Magnolia and Fiore came to see the Emperor's grandchildren. Those who came too close, however, were faced with the threats of the Emperor and Empress.

Even other members of other guilds decided to drop by and visit. Lyon, Chelia, Sherry, and Mistress Oba of Lamia Scale came to visit, although mostly on business. Sherry began fawning over Braska and Celesta, declaring them to be the very epitomes of the product of love. Chelia started chatting with Wendy about her preferences in boys, which thwarted the ever-bashful Romeo's attempts to ask out Wendy. Lyon had, for whatever reason, adopted a doting uncle complex with Glacia, which greatly annoyed Gray.

"Don't try anything funny with my daughter, Lyon!" Gray said menacingly.

"We're practically brothers, Gray! We grew up together, didn't we? That only proves my legitimacy as Glacia's uncle!" Lyon said while toting Glacia on his shoulders.

Gray ran after Lyon, using all sorts of profanity that Glacia should not have heard. Juvia intervened, whacking both Gray and Lyon with a whip of water. Levy laughed at the protective father complex Gray was displaying.

She took Glacia and said, "Shame on you both! How dare you throw around my daughter this way!"

Sabertooth's Sting and Rogue also dropped by to see their elders Natsu and Gajeel. Sting was surprised to see that Natsu had fathered two children. Rogue, on the other hand, was disinterested, but talked to Gajeel about his training methods. Sabertooth had yet to choose a master, although they had welcomed Yukino back in, due to the disappearance of Minerva.

Blue Pegasus' womanizing Trimens was nowhere to be seen, for the reason that they had all gotten engaged or were dating. Many women, including Laki, were happy to see that they had given up their womanizing ways. Ren had finally admitted his love for Sherry, and dropped his usual denying attitude. Eve was less of a child, and began dispensing dating advice to the younger men of Fairy Tail, especially Romeo. Master Bob had come, although without Ichiya, who had other business to take care of.

In the recent weeks, Jellal had recently become a member of Fairy Tail, but rarely dropped by, much in the way Mystogan had rarely showed his face around the guild. He went on jobs occasionally, but he liked to spend his time with Erza, now that he could do so more openly.

With recent happenings, Jellal and Erza had decided on a register marriage, to keep their union a secret. News of two of the most powerful wizards in the country being married would have surely made them a target.

"I've heard that the games are going to be a simple battle tournament this year." Makarov said.

"The other guilds have picked up on our two-team strategy from the last Games." Laxus said.

"We're going to have to submit three teams, at least. I have an idea of what teams will be best, but we'll have to consult the new mothers in the guild." Erza said.

"My intelligence reports say that a new guild has shown up: the Order of Shadows. They've established themselves as a legitimate guild, but their motives seem dark. They're allowing Elorienne guilds to participate this year as well." Jellal said.

"That's the group that attacked us at Natsu's wedding... And Minerva Orland is one of them. She said that she's a Dark Wizard, according to Natsu and Rizael." Makarov said.

While the group of wizards discussed the Order of Shadows, a figure hidden in the rafters, watched them. She wore a light, ninja-like outfit, ideal for the use of Stealth Magic. Sarina Jadis had been tailing various members of Fairy Tail for months. Her father, Riamat, wanted intelligence on the Order's biggest magical threat: the Fairy Tail guild. So far, she had assessed that many members were incredibly powerful, and the guild's ranks were great. And now they were planning on following the Order in Elorien. Her father would be most interested. Suddenly, Sarina saw a familiar face walking up the stairs: Emperor Rizael and Empress Farienne. She didn't know that they had joined the Fairy Tail guild.

"Come down here, spy of the Order." Rizael said.

Sarina gasped a little, but then jumped down from the rafters. She caught the attention of the large crowd downstairs.

"I guessed it was you, Sarina. Daughter of the treacherous Riamat Jadis." Farienne said.

"My lady, your words wound me. My father hasn't done anything to displease you, has he?" Sarina said sarcastically.

"He has only aroused my suspicion until now, but I am now certain that Riamat is a member of the Order of Shadows. Tell him we shall meet again at the Grand Magic Games, and that he is removed as the head of the Noble Senate." Rizael said cruelly.

"Of course, your Eminence. But know this: we shall crush the world that exists, and create a far better one in its place." Sarina said before vanishing into the darkness in the rafters.

The guild was silent for a moment. Members of every guild looked to Makarov for a decision. Guild masters headed up the stairs, knowing it was time to deliberate.

"Makarov, between the upcoming Grand Magic Games, and the activities of the Order in Elorien, you're not going to be able to handle this by yourselves." Oba said.

"Let us help you. We will lend you members on both ends." Bob said.

"That is fine, but I'm more worried about the gravity of the situation. Will we be able to handle this the way we did with Oración Seis?" Makarov said.

"We'll lend you as much power as we can." Sting said.

"If I may, I would like to suggest a plan. We shall form a combined guild team, as I'm sure the Order will do the same. The Fairy Tail Elorien Branch will send members as well. I suggest both of my sons, as well as myself, to be a part of the team for the Games." Rizael said.

"Rogue, Yukino, and I will volunteer for the games. We will send Orga's sister and Rufus to Elorien." Sting said.

"Sting, are you sure about Lorsa? I feel she is not emotionally ready." Rogue said with a little concern in his voice, unlike his usual demeanor. Frosch, naturally, agreed with Rogue.

"She'll never get over Orga's death if she doesn't get out of the guild hall and do something." Sting said sharply.

"Orga died last year, in a skirmish near the border. We found his body completely mutilated, almost beyond recognition. When we told Lorsa, his sister, she fell apart, and hasn't gone on a single job since." Rogue explained.

The group nodded, and then Oba said, "Lyon and Jura will go to Elorien. Chelia and Sherry will go to the Games."

"Hibiki will go to Elorien, along with Eve. Ren will go to the games. Ichiya and Jenny are in Elorien gathering information. We expected this to happen." Bob said.

"Fairy Tail will send Laxus, Sorian, Rizael, Erza, and Mirajane to the Games. As for the Elorien team, we shall send Farienne, Natsu, Gajeel, Wendy, and Gray. We'll have to pool our remaining members to defend important magical sites in Fiore. I'll send word to Gildarts to lend the Elorien team a hand if he's nearby. " Makarov said.

The guild masters proceeded to disperse. After all the visitors left, Makarov gave everyone their orders. Almost instantaneously, people began to make travel plans, either to head to Elorien, or to train. The Games would begin next week. Fairy Tail had submitted a tentative team, but now their roster was permanent.

At the bar downstairs, Lucy held her children in her arms, trembling. Fairy Tail was going to war, again. Lucy and Natsu's children were at risk, and they didn't know what to do. Lucy had to do something in order to protect her children, even if she couldn't be on the front lines to do so.

"Natsu. Promise me this: end the Order in the Games. We can't let them do this! Protect our children's future!" Lucy said.

"Believe me, Lucy, I will. Anyone who threatens to lay a hand on either Braska or Celesta is going to burn in hell! I'll kill everyone one of them! Gray, let's give those bastards a beating they'll never forget!" Natsu said angrily.

"You got it, Natsu." Gray said.

Juvia had to explain to Glacia that her daddy was going away for a while to protect them. Glacia, of course, cried profusely. She wanted to go with Gray, but Juvia told her that she wasn't powerful enough, and that it wasn't safe.

Members of the guild that weren't on either team were assembled to form a group that would go to various sites around Fiore that had magical potential. Legends that only the truly fearful paid heed to suddenly became relevant. Rizael explained the Elorienne myth of the long-lost Aeons in Fiore, known as the Land of the Ancients in lore.

Farienne took out a stone tablet from a sort of pocket, and used her advanced Memory Make magic in order to access the memories surrounding it. She began narrating the events as they flowed into her head.

"Long ago, when the borders of nations were non-existent, people traveled freely to the Land of the Ancients. Much magic was practiced there, for its different landscapes permitted it. The magic was said to have come from the beings known as the Aeons, formed from the very souls and dreams of the most devout worshippers of the eight gods of this world. These individuals who gave up their mortality became the immortal statues containing their souls and dreams, the fayth." she said.

"But why did they give up their lives?" Juvia asked.

"For a time, it was not apparent why. The Land of the Ancients was prosperous, and the Ancients enjoyed the privileges of using magic profligately and for their own gains. They sinned using this power to lie, cheat, steal, and worst of all, kill. As if to punish the people, a monster called Sin, the embodiment of human transgression, appeared. The Ancients prayed to the fayth, and by extension, the gods. They begged for their help, and the gods granted to certain individuals, the summoners, the power to call upon the manifestations of the fayth, the Aeons, in order to combat Sin. They would journey across the land, in order to learn how to harness the power of souls and dreams, in order to call forth the Final Aeon in order to destroy Sin, at the cost of the summoner's life." Farienne said.

"How terrible. To think, they had the bravery to put their lives on the line like that." Lucy said.

"They were real men!" Elfman said.

"Indeed, the summoners appeared to wield an awesome, almost invincible power. However, it was a transient victory; Sin would reappear again and again, giving only two years of peace as its absence. Finally, one day, a summoner named Yuna defied this practice, even though the Ancients had become attached to this endless cycle of death, and she refused to allow anymore people to die for a meaningless cause. She fought and defeated the creator of the Final Summoning, destroying the weapon that granted the people's ephemeral peace. She and her allies fought Sin, prying its body open, to destroy the creator of Sin, Yu Yevon. When they defeated him, Sin's body burst into millions of blue wisps, like the dreams of Yu Yevon were being laid to rest, as one scholar said." Farienne continued.

"She was the manliest!" Elfman said, crying.

"Even though she's a woman...?" Evergreen said with a slight laugh.

"Allow me to continue. The fayth, now having fulfilled their promise to the Ancients, were also laid to rest. The gods allowed them to rest in heaven, and it was thought that they were gone from the world forever. As the Ancients began to flourish, their worship died out, the Aeons slowly forgotten." Farienne said.

"You see, we think it will help us defeat the order by calling on the fayth again, and that their temples are in the ruins of these sites in Fiore. If we can enlist their help, as Natsu was able to do with Bahamut, our chances will be much better. Your objective is to use the clues in the legend to locate the fayth again, and reactivate them." Rizael said, handing Evergreen the tablet.

"Very well, Rizael. The team that will complete this task will be made up of Elfman, Evergreen, Lisanna, Cana, Levy, and Jellal." Makarov said.

The groups all went back to their respective homes, packing their belongings for travel around Fiore or to Elorien. Natsu and Gray said their goodbyes to Lucy and Juvia, asking them to keep the children safe. The guild hall was soon empty, as the most rowdy of the Fairy Tail wizards had departed.

"If only we could help, Juvia." Lucy said.

"We _are_ helping, by protecting the next generation. If we know our men, they've gotten through things before. Through the sheer force of willpower, I might add." Juvia said reassuringly.

Lucy nodded, headed back to her home, and put her children to bed. She summoned Leo, Aquarius, Taurus, and Capricorn.

"All of you, I want you to understand this: in the future, I may not be able to put your help to use as often. We're heading into a war again, but I want you to do me a favor. Protect my children. No matter what happens to me, Braska and Celesta must live. Tell the other Celestial Spirits as well." Lucy said.

"We're all so proud of you, Miss Lucy." Capricorn said, with Taurus nodding.

"As much as I'd doubted the day would ever come, I'm happy that you finally got a husband." Aquarius said.

"Lucy, we will forge extended contracts to protect your children, even if you die. But I promise you, that won't happen." Leo said.

Lucy smiled, and dismissed them all. She knew that her time might be coming soon. She needed to ensure her children, no, Natsu's children, would be safe. She couldn't bear it to let them die without a chance at life. Even if it meant that she had to end her own.


	13. The Games - Part I: The Fayth Return

_Disclaimer: I don't own Fairy Tail or Final Fantasy X._

Setting : _A week after the Order of Shadows' declaration via Sarina, in the capital of the Kingdom of Fiore, Crocus. The Grand Magic Games will begin the next day, and guilds are reporting to their assigned inns. Team Veratos, the alliance of the five guilds: Fairy Tail, Sabertooth, Lamia Scale, Blue Pegasus, and Fairy Tail of Elorien, was assembled outside the Grand Crocus Hotel._

"So tell me, Erza, what are these Games? I imagine they're somewhat different from the duels we have in Elorien." Rizael asked.

"They're not terribly different, at least from what Natsu tells me of your duels. Each battle is between two wizards only, and those who interfere will have their guild disqualified. Cruel or unseemly conduct in battle will result in either disqualification of the offender, or a short referendum to decide the legality of the action. They're generally timed, to about thirty minutes in most cases. Many years ago, when our Tenrou Team returned after a seven-year gap, our guild had fallen into bankruptcy, so we voted to enter the Grand Magic Games both to win our title as Fiore's strongest guild, and the monetary reward to get our original guild hall back." Erza explained.

"I see. Natsu told me about the Eclipse Gate incident. I was surprised at the dragons' hostility." Rizael said.

"We went through a lot of trouble to fight those bastards. Even though we'd been using Dragon Slayer Magic for a long time, it was nothing against them." Laxus said quietly.

"Even having killed my foster father, Weisslogia, that death was out of mercy. Nothing could have prepared us for that fight." Sting said.

"We were barely able to save everyone from the dragons. The fear they evoked within us had nearly taken our wills away. But we fought back." Lyon said.

"Please, I don't want discuss this anymore." Wendy said.

The topic was quickly dropped. When they arrived at the inn, the group looked at the message lacrima that had been left for them at the front desk.

"To contestants of the Grand Magic Games: tomorrow morning, report to the arena by seven o'clock in the morning. Any who are late will be disqualified. The Games will be explained tomorrow." an announcer said.

The referees that year would be made up of a Wizard Saint, an Elorienne guest, and the yet unmarried Queen Hisui of Fiore. Rizael and Sorian stayed up late that night, changing their magic setups.

"It's interesting, Sorian." Rizael said.

"What is, Father?" Sorian said, going through several different kinds of magic in his mind.

"The fact that Aureals do not exist anymore. Bahamut was the only Aureal we knew of, until he returned to his body. And I have found that my Aureal Magic is gone. I can't draw on the nature spirits anymore. They're gone, and I have a hypothesis." Rizael said.

"You believe that the darkness is stirring? I've felt it too." Sorian said.

"They are afraid. We must finish the Order off at all costs. Good night, Sorian." Rizael said, before heading off to bed.

That night, Rizael dreamt of something strange. He saw a statue covered by a glowing glass shield. Its presence felt like a heartbeat, and suddenly he recognized what it was. A fayth had been revived. A man with a double-sided short-sword, made from what looked like ivory. His head pointed downward, his face hidden, and he wore his violet-tinged white hair in four braids. Ixion, the Steed of Lightning was alive once more.

"Fear not, Ixion. I shall call you to my side once more, like High Summoner Yuna did so many eons ago." Rizael said in his sleep.

The next morning, Team Veratos had risen early, making its way to Domus Flau, the arena for the Games. It was truly a massive team, dwarfing many of the other guild's teams in size. They easily made up four or five teams alone. But it was allowed, as another guild, the Order of Shadows, had formed an equally large team. Several other guilds shot Veratos dirty looks, marking them as Fiore guilds, as Elorien guilds followed their native tradition of honest and polite conduct between combatants.

When they had arrived at the arena, the Order of Shadows had arrived at the same time. Its ranks were lead by Riamat Jadis. His cloak was decorated with dark runes, and wore his dark hair in a shoulder-length braid. His eyes were heartless, those of a person who could do away with whoever he pleased, whenever he chose to do so.

"His Eminence graces me with his presence once more, even after having removed me from the Imperial Assembly! I am truly a blessed soul, do you not agree?" Riamat said with a cold smile.

"Dispense with the charades, Riamat. Just know that your Order's plans will not come to fruition. I suspect that with your sources, you already know most of our plans." Rizael said.

"Only that you've sent forces to Elorien to stop us. My daughter Sarina didn't do a good enough job, having been caught." Riamat said, looking at his daughter, who stood behind him.

"Anyway, the preliminaries should be over quickly. It doesn't seem that many guilds showed up. Probably too afraid of the Order to show their mongrel faces." Riamat said with malice.

It was true. Only sixteen guilds had shown up that morning. Rizael had been certain that there were over one hundred guilds who had come to participate. Riamat laughed, and then left the arena. Because he was a guild master, he was forbidden to participate. Rizael considered it remarkable he had even that much sense.

"Contestants of the Grand Magic Games! We welcome you to Crocus, capital of Fiore! We also extend a special welcome to the Elorienne guilds who have joined us this year!" Gran Doma, chairman of the Magic Council, said.

They saw two other Elorienne guilds, but there were no others, as very few guilds existed in Elorien. Stellar Blade, a guild of wizard-swordsmen, and Galtea's Hand, a primarily diplomatic guild that also dealt with wizard requests.

"We also are honored to see the Emperor Rizael and his son Sorian compete in this year's Games!"

"We are equally pleased to compete. We hope that our magic will entertain you all." Rizael said.

"On to the tournament rules. This year, the Games shall consist of a simple battle tournament The two combatants will fight until there is only one standing. Tag battles shall also be conducted, and the arena will change for every battle. The first battle will be conducted this afternoon. Match-ups will be decided then. You are dismissed!" Doma said.

It was intriguing to all of them. Never before had the arena been able to change. They could summon other structures, but not alter the arena itself. The day was spent preparing for the first match. Rizael and Sorian put on their battle gear, and the former began to tend to his katana. He sharpened and reinforced it. The Veratos members met in their team's seats in the stands, waiting for the match-ups to appear on the giant lacrima screens. And soon enough, they did.

"The first match will be between the Order of Shadows' Sarina Jadis and Mermaid Heel's Millianna!" the announcer said loudly.

The two wizards walked out onto the field, which was made a marble floor. Millianna promised to make it a good fight, in a very good-natured way.

"You're just a pathetic weakling. This will be over quickly." Sarina said coldly.

Needless to say, Millianna was surprised. She prepared herself, getting her dagger out. Since Mermaid Heel's poor placing in the Games four years ago, she had pledged herself to getting stronger. As a result, she had learned Dagger Magic, which utilizes the multifarious uses of daggers and combines them with magic.

The announcer gave the signal to begin. Almost instantly, Millianna lashed out with improved reflexes, and said, "Dagger Magic: Rain!"

A barrage of daggers burst forth from a glyph in the sky, seemingly pinning Sarina down. When the dust cleared, she was gone. Millianna looked around for Sarina, and couldn't find her.

"Millianna, watch out!" Erza yelled, as Sarina emerged from Millianna's shadow.

Sarina struck Millianna with incredible force. The crowd was absolutely stunned. It appeared as though it was a complete knockout. However, Millianna began to get back up, preparing another attack.

"Too slow!" Sarina said, as she closed in with Stealth Magic: Veloce, which Millianna was barely able to avoid, cutting up her arm.

"You little bitch... Solo Raid: In-cat-ceration Tube and Dagger Magic!" Millianna said.

The magic was a variation on the Unison Raid, in which the user combined two magics they knew into one. Though not as potent as the Unison Raid, it was still a force to be reckoned with. The attack fired seven daggers with scarlet ribbons, binding Sarina in their folds.

"A magical helix...?" Sarina said.

"The Seven Suns of Sekhmet: Release of the Goddess!" Millianna chanted.

The ribbons cut into Sarina, but the spell was not over yet. Millianna conducted them to form a portal that allowed a gigantic sphinx to walk through it. Its fangs were made of ivory and its eyes glowed crimson with bloodlust.

"Go, Sekhmet! I offer you the blood of my foe to sate thy hunger!" Millianna declared.

The crowd went up in cheers for Millianna, as she loosed her beast on Sarina. It seemed as there was no escape for her, as she disappeared into the lion's mouth. The referees were about to declare it a victory for Mermaid Heel, but suddenly the sky darkened and Sekhmet began to crumble.

"Void Magic: Annullamento!" Sarina said causing the sphinx to explode.

The crowd was astounded at the counterattack. Applause roared through the stadium, but Sarina simply looked on with a look that combined indifference and condescension. She almost felt pity for the fools who were going to fall victim to the darkness very soon.

"Void Magic: Silenzio della Notte." Sarina said, raising her hand to the sky.

A stream of dark clouds coiled around her hand. The stream then solidified into dark energy, which she then split into several beams, homing in on Millianna, cutting through her like blades and conducting dark lightning through her. She was left on the ground, smoking, and bloodstained in a crater in the arena.

"Millianna! No!" Erza cried as she looked away from the devastation.

"And the winner is Sarina Jadis, of the Order of Shadows!" the announcer said.

"Let this be a message to the people of this country: we shall not be underestimated! All of you will cower before our power!" Sarina declared, causing even more cheering, ironically.

Millianna was taken out of the arena on a stretcher to the emergency clinic. Sarina simply jumped over the wall to join her guild in the stands.

Erza's blood boiled, having seen her childhood friend completely thrashed by someone so clearly evil and malicious. However, she suddenly heard Jellal's voice in her head.

"_Erza, dear, don't do anything rash. We can't afford to be disqualified._" Jellal said.

"_I know. And where are you? I didn't even sense your presence in the city._" Erza said.

"_I'm in the northern plains of Fiore. I discovered what I think is a fayth. While I searched through the abandoned temple, I found a sphere to enter what is called the Cloister of Trials. I entered the inner sanctum, and when the door opened, there was a faded statue encased in a sort of transparent shield inside. When I sent a magical pulse through the statue to look for a presence, it suddenly became colored and elaborately decorated. Lightning Magic pulsated through the temple. A spirit arose from the statue, and it said,'Thank you for awakening us. Our power is the summoner's to command once more.'_" Jellal explained.

"_I'll make sure to tell Rizael and Sorian. Thank you, Jellal._" Erza said.

The telepathy link terminated. Erza told Rizael about Jellal's message, but he responded as if he already knew, or guessed it. Rizael smiled, and then looked up at the lacrima screen for the next match-up.

"The next battle will be between Twilight Ogre's Sarsal Deriot and Veratos' Emperor Rizael d'Elorien!" the announcer said.

Distinct from the entire crowd's cheering for Twilight Ogre, Elorienne women and some Fiore women swooned upon seeing Rizael's image on the lacrima screen. Even though he was more than fifty years old, Rizael looked almost like he was thirty-five years old. Elorienne men and women were resistant to aging in general, although they would hit a slump around seventy-five years of age.

Rizael walked down to meet his opponent on the field. Sarsal was a large, hulking mage, wielding gigantic axe with designs of waves engraved on it. The crowd who didn't know who Rizael was started betting on Sarsal winning, given his huge size. The field was a water arena, with dragon-headed spouts filling the arena until it was a quarter full. Sarsal simply immersed himself in the water, while Rizael stood on the water's surface.

"So a prissy little imperial has come down from his throne to fight in the big leagues? You'll go down easy, little Emperor!" Sarsal taunted.

"On the contrary, my gargantuan friend: you will be easy prey for my blade. I am well-versed in every magic there is to know, so I doubt I will have much trouble taking you down." Rizael said coolly, with a just a scintilla of pride.

Sarsal's face contorted in annoyance, and he readied his axe for battle, brandishing it dramatically. Rizael didn't even flinch, not even bothering to draw his sword.

"Begin!" Desorak Farole, an Elorienne judge declared.

"Water God's Bellow!" Sarsal yelled, letting loose a torrent of dark water at Rizael.

"So, the God Slayer Magic in this country is so impure, that its very appearance is tainted by darkness? I almost feel sorry for you." Rizael said, splitting the blast with his bare hand.

The crowd gasped at Rizael's effortless counter against what appeared to be a brutal assault. Again, women swooned at Rizael's power and looks.

"Let me show you what a real attack looks like. Solo Raid: Judgement Magic and Blade Arts!" Rizael said.

The Emperor unsheathed his katana, and produced a blade of blue energy in his other hand, and closed in with blindingly fast speed. As he began his assault, he said, "Burst of One Thousand Evanescent Blossoms!"

Rizael almost seemed to dance, firing wave after wave of energy with his blades, simultaneously cutting through Sarsal's seemingly impenetrable muscles like they were nothing. Rizael's elegant attack scintillated with every blow, emitting particles of energy that almost seemed like flower petals. The water of the arena evaporated as Rizael continued to brandish his katanas. The assault ended with Rizael sheathing his sword after he had thrown Sarsal against the wall.

"You little son of a bitch! How dare you humiliate Twilight Ogre like this! As per our motto, I will pay you back in full!" Sarsal raged.

Sarsal held his axe like he was praying to the Water God, and little streams of water began to envelop his body. Light emitted from it, and when the transformation was complete, he seemed even bigger than before, now tattooed with rivers and oceans across his body. His eyes glowed dark blue with malice.

"It appears Sarsal has awakened the power of Godsbane! It is said that only the most skilled of God Slayers can use it, and among those who face its power, few live to tell the tale!" Desorak said.

"I'm going to hack you up into tiny little pieces and serve you on one of your silver platters!" Sarsal said, in a layered voice.

"How brutish. I think I may—" Rizael said before being slammed to the ground at the bottom of the water.

"Save your damn monologues for your stupid court!" Sarsal said.

The crowd gasped in horror. Sarsal may have committed an egregious offense: murder. This could have disqualified Twilight Ogre from the Games. However, in the stands, Sorian and Makarov looked on with confidence. They knew that Rizael would not go down that easily.

"Master! They could have killed the Emperor of Elorien! We have to file a complaint!" Erza said.

"Erza, be patient. Raising tension won't help anyone." Makarov said.

"I never knew that he was so powerful... I'd heard the rumors about the Imperial Sage, but I never imagined this kind of power. To think he might have been taken out is unthinkable." Sting said.

"Trust me, a man with that kind of reputation didn't get it for nothing." Chelia said.

Suddenly, a hand burst forth from the arena's pool. The crowd gasped again, and Sarsal looked on in skepticism and irritation.

As Rizael emerged from the pool, he said with a sadistic tone, "So that's how you wish to go about it? Mages in Fiore must have no honor in battle. Very well, I will do away with you."

The crowd cheered for the return of the Emperor from the deep. Rizael's eyes flashed a bright blue. Suddenly, a hush came over the stands.

"From the plains of thunder and lightning, I summon the Steed of the Heavens! Rain down your wrath upon my foes! Come from beyond the gate, Ixion!" Rizael called, creating a glyph in the air.

He created reins of lightning, throwing it through the glyph. As he pulled, a horn shaped like a spade cut in half came through. A large horse with white fur jumped through, and then Rizael jumped on its back.

"Impossible! I thought the Aeons were gone!" Sorian said incredulously.

"Apparently one's been reawakened... Nice one, Jellal." Erza said quietly.

"I will now end this charade. I humored your antics for a while, but now I am bored. You have failed to entertain me with a worthy duel." Rizael said.

Rizael began to charge lightning at the tip of Ixion's horn, which grew to a large size. The skies began to darken. Ixion fired the beam, which began lifting Sarsal into the air. The horse's horn absorbed lightning from the clouds above like a lightning-rod, and then fired the charge, which exploded upon impact with Sarsal.

Smoke was everywhere, and the lacrima screens went out. For a while, no one could see anything. When the smoke cleared, Rizael stood on Ixion's back triumphantly, with Sarsal knocked out on the ground, still sizzling with lightning being conducted through the water. The crowd burst into cheering, swooning, and rejoicing. Rizael walked back up to the Veratos' stand, while Sarsal was taken to the emergency clinic. Team Veratos had secured its spot in the real tournament.

The next six matches passed quickly. The guilds Stellar Blade, Galtea's Hand, Veratos, the Order of Shadows, Floralysium, Doravet, Auroral, and Demon's Nest had made it past the preliminaries. Each guild knew it was only going to get tougher, each intending to win for its own reasons. In the next round, Veratos had to use a different mage to compete, as Rizael had already done so. The Emperor had competed first in order to assert their dominance, and position itself as a threat to the Order. Would the destinies of these wizards lead to salvation or armageddon? Only Veratos the Creator knew.

**Note: I'm going to be splitting up the next few chapters into two to three parts each; one for the Games, one for the Elorien line, and one for the Fayth reactivation story. Hopefully, it will all come together! I hope you're enjoying the story so far. My objective is to write at least one chapter a day, if not every two days.**


	14. Elorien - Part I: Ruin is Reborn

_Disclaimer: I don't own Fairy Tail or Final Fantasy X._

"I'll never get over how different this place is from Fiore." Wendy said.

The group was passing through a town on the way to Folcor, where reports indicated an attack on the shrine. The town of Folcor was a village of mystics, with a long tradition of Sealing Magic. The Folcorites were the first to seal one of the Fallen away. They taught the Emperor of ages past how to use the magic, in order to seal the others away. It was then that the female users of Sealing Magic became a traditional institution within the imperial family, who sent their princesses to Folcor to learn from the masters. Empress Farienne continued the tradition to this day, along with using Memory Make.

"We will ask the chieftain to inform us of the seal's condition. It will be a serious problem if this one breaks loose. This Fallen is called Arakiel, the Harbinger of Ruin." Farienne explained.

"What do we do in the case that Arakiel is freed?" Gajeel asked.

"Let's hope it doesn't come to that." Farienne said darkly.

The group continued onward toward Folcor. They split up into three carts to allow them to rest their feet. In order to avoid being targeted, they traveled mundanely. The ride to Folcor was not too long; only about two and half hours.

When they arrived, they were met with an almost deserted village. The group called out multiple times, listening for someone to respond. Nothing turned up. Each and every dwelling was empty, and all the stalls had been abandoned. Gajeel and Wendy picked up a scent, and it led to an underground door in the chieftain's home.

"We'll split up. Lorsa, Rufus, Natsu, Lyon, and Jura will stay on the surface to investigate the shrine. The rest of us will head down to see if the Folcorites are hiding underground." Farienne said.

"You sure you'll be all right, Mother?" Natsu asked.

"Natsu, the real fight has yet to begin. Just relax." Farienne said soothingly, as she descended.

The surface team went to an ebony tomb-like structure, engraved with various sealing runes. Then, Natsu noticed that Lorsa was feeling uneasy.

"Hey, you're that Nanagear's younger sister, right?" Natsu said.

"Yes. Why?" Lorsa said.

"It's nothing. You just seemed a little down, that's all. If it's about Orga, I apologize. If you want some advice, I'd suggest this: stop thinking about his death. If you focus on the negative aspects of his life, then he's just going to roll in his grave thinking about how he made his sister worry. Do you really want that?" Natsu said.

Lorsa began to tear up a little, but she held it back. She thanked Natsu for his consolation, but in her heart, she knew the wounds would never completely heal. Orga was the only family she had when their parents died. While Jura and Lyon secured the perimeter, Natsu, Lorsa, and Rufus surveyed the inside of the tomb. There was a solitary sepulcher, in which various anti-Dark-Magic were inscribed on the walls.

Lorsa could feel a dark presence in the tomb. She began hearing whispers from the sealed coffin at the head of the sepulcher.

"_Your brother was brutally murdered... Your life has been ruined... Why not bring ruin to this world for what it has done to you?_" the voice said.

"_Who are you, and what do you want?_" Lorsa said in her mind.

"_I am but a guardian angel here to help you achieve closure. Allow me to deliver your fury upon these fools._" the voice said.

"_I can't. Orga is gone! I have to accept that, and taking out my anger on these people won't help me or my brother!_" Lorsa screamed.

Rufus came over to Lorsa, shaking her. The girl's eyes were filled with blackness, and she wouldn't respond to anything. She had collapsed on the ground.

"Lorsa! Get up! What happened!?" he yelled.

"_Oh, but he lives in your heart! To start, why don't we kill the wizard from the wretched guild that defeated your brother, sending him spiraling into depression, and getting him murdered on a mission? Kill the Fairy Tail wizard and the wizard that let your brother's memory go unavenged! Ruin is what he deserves! Let him feel what you have felt!_" the voice implored.

"_No... No...! No!_" Lorsa said as she lost her mind to Arakiel, the Harbinger of Ruin.

Meanwhile, in the tunnel underneath the village, Gray, Farienne, Hibiki, Eve, and Gajeel continued walking down a cavern illuminated by the soft glow of crystals.

"Hibiki, what is your Archive picking up about the Games? How are they progressing?"Farienne asked.

"They've advanced to the next round. From what I see, Rizael was able to summon an Aeon—" Hibiki said before being interrupted by Farienne, who said, "An Aeon!? So the memory was correct... The fayth are returning."

Gajeel had forged ahead while the rest followed slowly behind. When they had finally caught up to him, the group had come to a door, blocked off by a series of scrolls with calligraphy of some kind on them, that had been stretched across it.

"This is beyond ancient. It's not even in the Archive!" Hibiki said, dumbstruck.

"Could this be...?" Farienne said almost in a whisper.

"Let's just plow through it!" Gajeel said, readying an iron drill, before Eve and Gray held him back.

"If we try to plow through it, we might bring the whole cavern down!" Gray said.

Farienne continued looking at it with a curious face. She touched one of the scrolls, and reached into the memory that surrounded it. It was only a fragment of a memory, however; a man clad in a red, purple and gold robe, his face masked by an intricate wooden mask. He was accompanied by a dog, and he faced a group of people, one of which was a young woman with a violet dress, decorated with a single design of a branch of cherry blossoms.

"The High Summoner?" Farienne said.

"If you require my services, there is a price to be paid. Will you fulfill my contract?" the man in the mask said.

The memory vanished, and Farienne continued staring at the scrolls. She heard a whisper saying, "_Restore my contract..._"

"What is it, Farienne?" Eve asked.

"I think this cavern is home to a fayth. It requires something to let us through." Farienne said.

"_Who seeks my blade after eons of rust and ruin?_" a voice boomed through the cavern.

"Tell us who you are, and maybe we'll tell you!" Gajeel said, not knowing where the voice was coming from.

"_You are not summoners... How can you expect to enlist my service if your mind and body are too weak to receive my power?"_

"You are Yojimbo, yes?" Farienne said.

There was a brief silence. Then, the voice said, "_You... you have that summoner's blood in you. The one that let us sleep so many ages ago. But yes, I am Yojimbo, of the Cavern of the Stolen Fayth. What price are you willing to pay to form a contract?_" the voice said.

"I am here not to strike a contract, but renew one from ages past. My husband, Rizael, once called you ally. Will you raise your blade on his behalf once more?" Farienne said.

"_Ah... the self-righteous prince. Indeed, he once offered me his imperial crest, the one material symbol of his birth. I am willing to hone to this rested blade, and bring life to my colorless statue in my Chamber once more. I sense Ixion runs free once more. However, I once again demand payment._" Yojimbo said.

"Name your price." Farienne said.

"Wait, Farienne! We can't just agree to his terms. What if it's something like your life?" Gray warned.

"Gray, I can handle this. The High Summoner watches over me, and will guide my path." Farienne said.

"What do you mean, she watches over you?" Eve asked.

"The High Summoner Yuna's blood has run in my family's veins for generations. While my Memory Make cannot delve into her memories to revive the Aeons, I know full well of her trials, and losses. She gave up her faith in the Church of Yevon, when she learned of its false traditions, and even lost her lover when she fought Yu Yevon. Through freeing the fayth she had fought alongside from darkness, she granted them eternal rest, and in return, her lover was restored to her. It is from their progeny I descend." Farienne explained.

"_Indeed... I sense Yuna's purity running through your veins. She expressed remorse at our defeats at her own hands, even though it was for the sake of the world. Hers was a valiant and compassionate soul._ _As for my payment, you must reveal the truth to your son. I sense a guilt that lingers in your mind. Your family's very existence is dreamlike, and when this world's fabric is once again unwoven, he may face the consequences. I cannot allow another soul to suffer the way Yuna did._" Yojimbo said.

Farienne gave her consent, and the scrolls over the door dissipated, causing the entire cavern to be illuminated by a series of sconces along the walls of the cavern, revealing intricate calligraphy and architectural designs, akin to that of a temple.

When the group opened the door, they came upon an entire village. It was bustling like any other village, although for a different reason. Just then, an old man in long robes covered with all sorts of symbols appeared before them.

"The Lady Farienne graces us with her presence. And with such impeccable timing." the priestly man said.

"Hello, Father Serno. Tell me, what has happened? Why is the village down here?" Farienne said.

"It is a grave situation. The seals on Arakiel's shrine have weakened. We believe it is related to the awakening of the fayth." Serno said as the group approached the central temple.

"So you have felt it too... Although, it is only fitting, given that Yojimbo sleeps within this cavern." Farienne said.

The woman turned to face the group, and told them to spread out, and watch over the villagers, and gather intelligence. Farienne continued with Serno to the temple. Inside, a group of monks and nuns in similar clothing to Serno sat in a concentric circle. The village council was holding a session.

"The fayth of Yojimbo lives once more. It is as the prophecy stated: the Fallen are awakening, and someone will face that destiny!" one man said.

"We cannot be sure! We must seal Arakiel's sepulcher again. No matter what, we cannot allow him to be free. The world cannot sit by and expect its savior to come so swiftly." one woman said.

"Greetings, council members. It is good to see you all alive and well. I must inform you of important news: the dragons have awakened, just as the fayth are. They are moving about, as if something is stirring within the earth." Farienne said.

"Empress Farienne, how did you come to know of this?" the village elder said.

"My husband and sons recently came upon a Dragon Temple in Fiore. A group of dragons was holding its council there, and they apparently sense a darkness growing." Farienne said.

The council began churning into whispers and arguments, as they discussed the gravity of such news. Even the dragons were disturbed.

"We must make a move now, or the Order of Shadows will attack again!" a female member said.

"What? The Order attacked Folcor?" Farienne said with surprise.

"Yes. That is the reason we are down in the shelter. Arakiel's sepulcher is showing signs of restless movement, so we evacuated." the elder explained.

The council moved to hold a referendum over whether to reseal Arakiel's shrine. It was a tie between the fatalists adhering to a prophecy that foretold the return of the Fallen, and a wizard who would decide the destiny of the world, and those who chose ignore the prophecy and prolong the period of peace as much as they could. The council argued over and over, getting louder by the second. Then suddenly, the cavern shook. Dirt came loose from above, and the watchmen of Yojimbo's Chamber of the Fayth reported that the fayth was responding to Arakiel's.

Suddenly, Hibiki rushed inside the chamber, and said, "Farienne! Natsu called! He says Lorsa's gone mad! Arakiel is free! Just look outside!"

The crowd of people ran outside to see that a gigantic hole had been made above the cavern of the shelter. A girl with emerald colored hair battled Natsu, Rufus, and Lyon, with Jura supporting them from a distance. Lorsa looked wild, with crazed eyes full of bloodlust. Her mind and body were now Arakiel's. Lorsa sent a wave of ebony earthen spikes toward Natsu, who retaliated with Fire Dragon's Roar. Lyon and Jura used a Unison Raid, firing the spell Frigid Peak. The ground erupted with frozen spikes hitting Lorsa in the stomach, going right through her.

"You really think that's enough to kill me, the Harbinger of Ruin?" Lorsa said, her voice now mixed with a deep menacing voice.

"Lorsa, snap out of it! He's just using you! Orga may be gone, but he's rolling in his grave watching you get controlled like this! I remember what he was like!" Rufus said.

"This little bitch can't hear you! She's mine, wallowing in the ruin she's brought upon herself!" Arakiel said through Lorsa.

Wendy attacked with Sky Dragon's Talon and Fang, but Lorsa simply defended with impenetrable walls of earth. Wendy was knocked back by a moving wall of rock, but Gajeel caught her. She had fallen unconscious, and was twitching with dark energy affecting her.

Lorsa pointed her index finger at Lyon and Natsu, gathering a midnight blue ball of flame, and firing when it was as big as a boulder. Natsu tried to hold it back and consume it, and Lyon tried to nullify the flames with his ice, but it was no use.

"My Demi-Firaga doesn't let up! It burns and burns until the thing it's attached to is gone!" Lorsa said maniacally.

In the shelter below, the Folcorites were in a panic. Men and women scrambled to gather their families and belongings, preparing to flee Folcor. The village elder simply looked on in disbelief.

"The demon of our nightmares has awakened... The Harbinger of Ruin is free! What do we do?" the elder said.

"Lord Elder, fear not. We will suppress Arakiel! Gray, Hibiki, Eve, Gajeel, come!" Farienne said, using Memory Make to ascend.

The five Fairy Tail wizards went to fight the Fallen One. Farienne used Memory Make in order to create a torrent of water to trap Lorsa inside. Gajeel began to prepare Iron Dragon's Demonic Scythe, while Eve, Gray and Lyon assailed Lorsa with Trio Unison Raid: Black Ice Prison. The watery prison froze, and became black, freezing Lorsa inside.

As Gajeel jumped forth with gigantic serrated iron scythe, Lorsa broke forth, sending an icicle through Gajeel's shoulder.

"Gajeel, no!" Gray said.

"Rumbling—" Jura began as he prepared the spell, but was cut off by Lorsa's sudden attack, striking him with Earth God's Punishing Blow.

"Mortal magic was never much of a challenge to beat." Lorsa said.

Farienne looked on in fear, knowing that it was possible that Arakiel might win, and Lorsa would be lost forever. Arakiel was devouring her soul, bit by bit. Something had to be done. Then, Rufus touched Farienne's shoulder.

"Farienne... I have... an idea..." Rufus said, panting, as blood flowed from his wounds.

"Tell me quickly. Lorsa is dying as we speak." Farienne said urgently.

"We have to use the Unison Raid..." Rufus said.

Farienne gasped slightly, realizing what he was suggesting. She helped Rufus up, and prepared to cast the Unison Raid.

"_Delve into the depths of the past, the abyss of recollections... We are the wayfarers of memory and guardians of remembrance! Unison Raid: Reminiscence!_" the two chanted.

A blast of light enveloped Lorsa, and suddenly, she was in a white room. It was a simple room, with no furnishings save for a single table with two chairs at the ends. Lorsa seated herself at one end, and saw a figure that was divided into two beings: Arakiel, a black, red-eyed mass of dark flames, and her brother Orga.

"Orga!" Lorsa said.

"Come now, Lorsa, they took him away from you. Why show them any mercy? You don't need to open your heart to them ever again. Everything will fall to ruin, you know." Arakiel said.

"Lorsa, it's OK. You can live your life without me. But I can't forgive you in heaven, if you're letting a ruinous being like Arakiel into your heart." Orga said.

"How could you leave me? I don't want to be alone! Even though everyone at Sabertooth is there, I never feel their embraces. It all feels cold, Orga!" Lorsa said.

"Yes... let the coldness take you, so you can avenge me..." Arakiel said, his voice now mixing with Orga's, so that Lorsa became confused.

"Don't do this to yourself, Lorsa!" the being said.

Lorsa was slowly losing her mind, but suddenly, two people joined her side at the table. They were Farienne and Rufus.

"Rufus, Farienne..." Lorsa said.

"Lorsa, it's OK if you can't forget your brother, but don't let it fuel revenge. It will be the end of you. Revenge, once sown, is an endless cycle of abhorrent death. It will be carved into the memory of a person, a town, a country, a race, and the world. The universe will remember the cycle of demise that hate will bring." Rufus said.

"I understand loss. I lost my son for most of his life. It feels as if all happiness is gone from the world. Orga may be gone, but he persists in our memories, an unfading record that, no matter how deep it is buried, will never disappear." Farienne said, embracing Lorsa, who simply broke out into tears.

"Orga was all I had! Why is it that I'm so weak without him? I want to be strong again!" Lorsa cried.

The Orga-Arakiel being split apart, with Arakiel dissipating, while Orga became a light that enveloped his sister. Lorsa felt his being permeate her soul, and the tears began to stop as the light began to brighten, ending the vision.

"You are simply a weakling, as you always were. But know that I will persist in existence, spreading ruin, and shape this world to be a maelstrom of darkness." Arakiel said before disappearing.

"I am strong and will continue to be. I expunge ruin from my heart. Faith in memory and power will destroy that darkness." Lorsa said.


	15. The Temples - Part I: The Fallen Stir

_Disclaimer: I don't own Fairy Tail or Final Fantasy X._

"How long until we reach the Southern Wastes?" Levy complained.

"It's going to be at least another hour." Evergreen said, with an annoyed attitude.

Elfman was fast asleep with Lisanna in his lap. Freed continually wrote in his book new runes to use in battle. Cana tried to predict the location of the next fayth with her cards. They knew Jellal had already awakened Ixion in the Northern Plains. All they knew came from various legends they had read in books. Bahamut roamed the skies freely, as the Dragon King, his fayth residing in the Dragon Temple of Magnolia. Cana had learned the names of each Aeon and their supposed resting places from Sorian.

Valefor, the Phoenix of the Sky, overlooked the sea, in the place where the High Summoner began her journey. Its name was lost to the sands of time, and Fiore was a peninsula, with all too many places overlooking the sea.

Ifrit, the Demon of Hellfire, rested in a forest whose soil was enriched by the ashes of fires from ages ago. A lush place, populated by tropical trees and exotic animals, it was said that Ifrit's rage would consume it in fire when the world's destiny was at hand.

Ixion, the Steed of the Heavens, ran free on the Northern Plains, making it the thunderous plains that they once were. Travelers used to fear lightning, but the lightning-rod towers that were built gave them solace.

Shiva, the Empress of the Frozen Wastes, was said to reside underneath a frozen lake, her heart colder than ice. The people who guarded her resting place were of a devout priesthood, and did not tolerate trespassers. The group was searching for Shiva now, because they had somewhat of a lead, having heard of some ruins in the Southern Wastes.

Bahamut roamed the skies freely, as the Dragon King, his fayth residing in the Dragon Temple of Magnolia. Though devoted to the purpose of Yevon, he guided the High Summoner to defeating Sin, acting nobly on the behalf of the other fayth.

Hidden away in a cavern off the path of summoners, was the Aeon Yojimbo, the Mercenary. While powerful, he exacted a high price from his summoners. His blade was sharper than that of any other, cutting through the armor of even Sin itself. However, he could not slay Sin, for Yu Yevon would take him once Sin's shell was opened.

In a canyon where a temple sat atop a tower of stone, lay the temple of the Magus Sisters. Three sisters together, in eternal sleep, constituting a single fayth. Theirs was a power that rivaled the power of even Bahamut himself.

However, above all the other Aeons, was a forbidden Aeon, whose power was that of death itself. She was born to equal, and with time, surpass the Final Aeon itself. To take on the world's laments and grief, that was to experience true pain, and to inflict it upon the creator of Sin was her purpose: Anima, the World's Lamenter.

"They're just so old, I can't get anything with my cards." Cana said.

"It could be that they're protected with magic, like my runes, so that intruders can't find them." Freed said.

Cana decided to sleep the rest of the way. While she slept, a dream came to her. A woman with blue skin and a white cloak walked through the blizzard toward her. She showed Cana a sphere that showed an image of a temple supported by a pillar of ice. Coiled around it was a gigantic serpent with dark green eyes. The temple almost appeared to by decaying from the venom that dripped from the serpent's fangs. The dream dissipated, and Cana opened her eyes to Elfman shaking her awake. They had arrived at the town farthest to the south in Fiore, Sauder.

"Damn, this place is cold..." Cana said bitterly.

"Well, that's what you get for wearing practically a swimsuit all the time." Lisanna said.

The town was covered in a blanket of snow. Rows of shops and houses lined the streets, made of stone padded with enchanted furs to keep the buildings warm. Evergreen and Levy went to check the group into an inn, while Elfman, Lisanna, Freed, and Cana went to gather info on Shiva's temple's location.

"No one goes to the temple anymore these days, deary. It's considered an unholy place, and for good reason: a dark wizard named Erius lives there. People are afraid to go near it." one old woman said.

The group recognized the name. He was the deranged lunatic that had attacked Lucy at the wedding.

"We used to send requests to the guilds and the Magic Council to notify them of what was happening. But apparently, one of our sacred sites being destroyed isn't important enough." a woman with her daughter said, while going into her house.

The sun began to set, but the group continued looking for information. They learned a few things about the temple in the old days from some shopkeepers. Apparently, Shiva, even though she was a mortal soul turned into a fayth, was worshipped as a goddess. Few people even believed in Shiva anymore. It was the local legend that she watched over the town from the lake, protecting the town from invaders using snowstorms. Now the blizzards were just seasonal occurrences.

When it was too dark to continue searching, and all the shops had closed, they went back to the inn. Evergreen and Levy were playing a game of cards when they walked into the room.

"Took you long enough. It's almost nine in the evening. I hope you guys had dinner, because they don't have room service at this inn." Levy said.

"Well, we found out the temple exists. It's on the lake on the east side of town. People are afraid to go there because a dark wizard named Erius lives there. We need to get there tomorrow and investigate." Cana said.

"We can show that coward how to be a real man and face us head on!" Elfman said.

"For once, I think Elfman couldn't have said it any better." Freed said, with a malicious look in his eyes.

"What the hell are you trying to imply about my Elfman, Freed!?" Evergreen said, shooting Freed a murderous stare.

"Evergreen, calm down. Now, everyone, let's get to bed. We have a long day ahead of us." Levy said.

With that, each of the wizards went to sleep. Meanwhile, the darkness in what was Macalania Temple stirred. Erius sat on his throne in utter silence. The mist shifted around him, like a crowd of minions waiting for his command. Suddenly, he began laughing maniacally.

"So the fairies have come to play? Come to bring light back to the forsaken temple of an age long past? I think not!" he said, his voice shifting in pitch erratically.

Erius got up from his throne, and walked outside, wearing nothing but a ragged cloak and an emaciated body with leather straps across the chest.

"Iridia, my lady, it is time! Let us rain misfortune down upon these miserable fools!" Erius cried to the gigantic serpent that had coiled itself around the temple.

The serpent uncoiled itself, and descended to the frozen bridge where Erius was. As the snake slithered down, it dissipated into black and green smoke, from which a woman in a black snakeskin dress emerged. She had a pair of dark green eyes with pupils shaped like a snake's. Her black hair was glossy and long, going all the way down to her waist. Her back was exposed, upon which dark runes had been tattooed.

"Do not be so quick to act, you lunatic, deposed prince. True bringers of chaos are slow to act, like the venom of a snake. Without even realizing it, the prey is paralyzed by the poison, and is forced to stare the snake in the eyes as it is devoured alive." Iridia said, as she squeezed Erius' cheek, sinking her sharpened nails into it.

Erius began to gag, and his magic began to be drained, flowing into Iridia's body. Erius' body withered at an accelerated rate, and soon, he was dust. Iridia took in a large breath of air, and when she exhaled, her eyes glowed a bright green.

"I have no use for imbeciles that do not respect the power of chaos, _my power_.

When dawn came on Sauder, it was not very different from nighttime, except it was only somewhat lighter out. The sun was blocked by the clouds that continually showered snow on the town. The Fairy Tail wizards had risen early, and made their way to the eastern side of Sauder. At the gate, there read a warning not to venture near the lake. Ignoring this warning, they started walking towards the lake. At the far end, there was a gigantic mass of mist, although a gate could be made out.

When they had started walking across the lake, Lisanna said, "There's something dark here. It's like something that just wants everything to fall apart and succumb to catastrophe."

"I know what you mean. It doesn't feel right here. But that means we're in the right place." Cana said.

"Wait, there's someone coming!" Levy said.

Out of the mist, a woman with a svelte body emerged. She cracked a wicked smile, and her hands hissed with green magical energy.

"Who the hell are you!?" Elfman yelled.

"Oh, is that any way to speak to a lady you've just met?" she said.

"Answer the question!" Elfman said demandingly.

"Very well. It seems you are eager to know your killer before you die. I am Iridia, the Fallen of Catastrophe." she said darkly.

"Iridia!? I thought you were still sealed away!" Cana said.

"How wrong they were. You see, my very presence causes calamity to occur, so as my magic seeped out around my tomb, the seals weakened, allowing me to escape. That fire dragon tried to burn me with his holy flames. Igneel, was it? He never stood a chance." Iridia said.

"You attacked Igneel?!" Lisanna said.

"The dragon's body is probably decaying somewhere north of here. He knew the Fallen's plans, so I had to eliminate him." she said wickedly.

"You'll pay for this! Solid Script: Blaze!" Levy said.

The word, "blaze," appeared in bright crimson letters, and burst into streams of fire that homed in on Iridia.

"Wait, where's Erius then?" Cana said.

"I simply devoured him. He served me no purpose. We could realize our goal without the Order of Shadows if we so wished. They are nothing more than a slight convenience." Iridia said, as she attacked with Ark of Ruination: Cataclysm.

A crack formed on the surface of the lake, almost trapping Evergreen and Levy, but they escaped with Evergreen's flight ability.

"Solid Script: Impenetrability!" Levy said, creating the word out of prismatic light, which reinforced the lake's surface.

Iridia was briefly confused, but soon realized that she had made the lake more resistant to weight, so that Elfman could use his takeover ability. Elfman transformed into his Belcusas the Thunderclap form. Despite the weight of his new heavily armored form, the lake resisted the pressure.

Having trained to move quickly despite his weight, Elfman struck Iridia with amazing speed, thrusting her into the emblem above the gate, and clearing the mist at the same time. Freed flew forth, casting the spell Dark Écriture: Bind. Dark chains bound Iridia to the emblem. Freed and Elfman drew back to allow Lisanna to deliver the final blow.

In her training, Lisanna had developed several new forms, by drawing various forms and imagining their characteristics, with the help of Reedus in drawing lessons. One of her newest forms, dubbed the Fairy Reaper, made Lisanna's hair grow down to her waist, and clad in a long, black, ankle-length dress. Her back was exposed, but from it grew a pair of black feathered wings, completing the reaper image. In the time since the Grand Magic Games, Lisanna had decided to expand her range of magic, and learned to Re-quip from Erza. Thusly, she summoned a scythe that was inscribed with light runes, courtesy of Sorian, who had been grateful for Lisanna being his brother's childhood friend.

"Reaper Wind!" Lisanna said, as she slashed with her scythe, sending a gust of black wind.

However, Iridia, upon the attack's impact, dissipated into black smoke, and crept up to Lisanna like a snake. Iridia was about to strike Lisanna with her envenomed nails, but Elfman intercepted the attack. Elfman broke the nails in his fist, and used his magic to absorb them, creating Beast Arm: Snake Fang.

"Clever boy. But your luck is doomed to fail you soon!" Iridia declared, firing a green particle beam at the Strauss siblings.

"Unison Raid: Faerie Serendipity!" Evergreen and Cana said, combining Evergreen's Fairy Magic and Cana's Card Magic.

A prismatic beam emanated from the two, meeting with Iridia's attack, causing an explosion upon impact. Iridia and the two Fairy Tail wizards stepped back from the smoke. Suddenly, Iridia struck Evergreen with Ark of Ruination: Fatal Blow. Across Evergreen's chest was a gash colored a sickly green, and she suddenly felt faint, and passed out.

"What did you do to her!?" Cana demanded.

"You cannot flee from my runes! They forbid it!" Freed said.

"I told you your luck was bound to run out. Now I must depart to join Arakiel. It seems he is free as well. As for your runes, they decayed in my presence. Gods can defy the rules of mortals quite easily." Iridia said before disappearing into a corridor of darkness.

"Come back here, you bitch! Why don't face us like a real man!?" Elfman said, holding Evergreen in his arms.

Suddenly, the wind began to pick up, signaling a blizzard. The group took refuge inside the temple, which was miraculously calm. Even though the temple was dilapidated, it had an air of solemnity to it. Lisanna, Elfman, and Evergreen stayed in one of the chambers for the monks and nuns to allow Evergreen to rest.

Meanwhile, Cana, Levy, and Freed investigated the rest of the temple. They entered a door at the top of the stairs, seeing it labeled as the Cloister of Trials in an ancient script. Going inside, there was a corridor of ice leading to the other side of the chamber. A sphere had been inset in the wall next to the door, although it seemed to be nothing more than a glass sphere, as it had lost its power. Continuing onward, the three came to a large chamber. At the other end was a stone door, engraved with old script from the days of the Church of Yevon.

"I can't get through!" Cana said, banging on the door.

"It would appear that there is some sort of rune blocking the entrance." Freed said, searching the walls.

Freed pried away the ice and dust on the walls, revealing an inscription on the wall that read, "Only the summoner, pure of mind and body, may enter the Chamber of the Fayth."

"Well, at least we know that the fayth lies ahead." Freed said.

"Considering my alcoholic tendencies, and Freed's previous actions..." Cana said.

The two looked at Levy and told her to go forward. Levy was nervous, but she did as they said. The door opened as Levy approached, which gave Freed and Cana reason to rethink their habits.

The path down to the Chamber was long and winding, circling around the supporting ice pillar. When Levy approached the entrance to the Chamber, she came upon a door that came down from a slot in the frame, and further blocked by white fan-like mechanisms. When it opened, a cold, female voice full of indifference, almost blasé, beckoned Levy inside.

When the female wizard went inside, the door closed behind her. Levy knelt down to investigate the glass case holding a statue of a woman. The woman's hair was splayed out in five braids ending in metal spade-shaped clips. The statue was black, as though it was a light that gone out. Suddenly, it glowed, and color returned to the statue, showing the woman's dark chestnut-colored hair, and a blue dress. It reminded Levy of Cana, although colder and more chaste.

The spirit of a woman in a long robe and white furs rose from the statue, and turned to face Levy.

"It has been eons since one of the faithful has come to this chamber. Several years ago, I was forced to return to this temple, and protect it from the darkness besieged it." she said.

"We fought Iridia the Fallen, and she left. But we still need your help." Levy explained.

"I know. I thank you for driving the demoness away. I was the high priestess of this temple once. I was called Shiva, the Empress of the Frozen Wastes as a fayth. I sense your purity, young maiden. Do you request my power?" Shiva said.

"Yes, but how am I to receive it?" Levy asked.

"Come, summoner! Our minds shall become one, and you will receive my Aeon. I shall bestow you with my power, as Shiva, the Empress of the Frozen Wastes." Shiva said.

Shiva walked forward, and placed her hands on Levy's forehead, causing Levy's mind to race as the consciousness of the fayth merged with her own. Levy almost blacked out, but mustered enough strength to stay conscious. Levy trudged back up to the antechamber, and met with Freed and Cana.

"So... what happened?" Cana asked, as she helped Levy stand.

"Well, I received the fayth, and I can summon the Aeon now. Either way, we need to check on Evergreen and the others. We'll need to get going soon. Shiva told me where our next temple is. We're heading west." Levy said.

**Note: So, I thank you all for the positive feedback that you've given me. However, I regret to inform you that I may not be able to post chapters as much as I have been, because I'm studying some course material. Chances are that it will be no more than two chapters a week, if that.**


	16. The Games - Part II: A Prelude to War

Disclaimer: I don't own Fairy Tail or Final Fantasy X.

Team Veratos gathered in its inn to celebrate the absolute thrashing Rizael gave to Twilight Ogre. Every member of the team and the allied guilds was amazed at his sudden summoning of the Aeon Ixion.

"You've got to teach me how to do that some time!" some said.

Rizael laughed, saying, "It's not a thing I can teach you. You have to have the gift and mental constitution to receive an Aeon. I was trained in the arts of summoning, but only as its practice was dying out. Unfortunately, I only received three Aeons in my time, as I was unable to find the others before my ascent to the throne."

"Rizael, we thank you for the victory that you won for us today! However, we must begin to prepare for the next match. As per the rules, we must change our competitor." Makarov said from the second floor railing.

"Let's choose a member from a different guild this time." Master Bob said.

"Sabertooth will go next." Rogue said, while Sting stood up to volunteer himself.

Rizael went to speak with Makarov about the progress with the fayth. Makarov said that the fayth team had reactivated the fayth of Ixion and Shiva. In Elorien, the team had reported their discovery of Yojimbo's fayth.

"From what I've felt, I must guess that some of the Fallen are loose. I knew that we wouldn't be able to stop their revenge for long." Rizael said.

"Is there any way to destroy them for good?" Makarov asked.

"The dragons may know. From what I know, it would take an enormous amount of power to destroy even a single Fallen, considering their near god-like powers." Rizael said.

"I would say that you are not far off, Rizael." Makarov said.

"One of the Ten Wizard Saints conceding prowess to a foreigner? Either way, my magic is limited by the fact I can only use five different magics at time, otherwise keeping them all within my body would force me to use up a large amount of magic power continuously." Rizael said.

"I see." Makarov said.

"Have you received any word on the Order's activities?" Rizael said.

"As per their name, they are a secretive lot. Gildarts, surprisingly, is picking up nothing. Jellal, on the other hand is more than efficient, having found and activated a single fayth on his own." Makarov said.

"I know, considering he restored Ixion to me. And it also seems that Yojimbo has awakened. Only one more remains for me to regain." Rizael said quietly.

Just then, a commotion began downstairs. The entire Team Veratos and its supporters were looking at something, some with looks of disgust and others with surprise. Rizael and the masters walked downstairs to investigate.

Parting the crowd, Rizael saw an a hemisphere on the table, projecting an image of Riamat. It was a sphere projection, with a vocal device installed.

"Rizael, that was an impressive show you put on today. I didn't expect that you would gather the Aeons so quickly. No matter, it is no hindrance to us, as we have already freed Iridia and Arakiel from their binds. Expect yet another swift defeat of your precious friends in the other guilds. It will be a considerably less gruesome display than what Lady Iridia did to some woman who tried to use a spell called Fairy Serendipity. The Fallen of Catastrophe tells me that her green guild mark shall fade as her body erodes to dust." Riamat said, ending the transmission.

"Evergreen...!" Makarov said.

"We've got to get them back for this!" Erza said.

"I'll make sure of it." Sting said.

Just then, a messenger arrived with the instructions for the next match of the games. It appeared that it was going to be a triple tag battle, and in the interest of entertainment, Team Veratos was issued a personal stipulation: to send three members of different guilds. Which meant that the dynamic duo of Sting and Rogue was forbidden, making it difficult for the actual team to work together.

It was decided that Sorian, Chelia, and Sting would go to represent Team Veratos. Their opponent would be Stellar Blade, one of the Elorien guilds. Sorian, Chelia, and Sting were all skilled in close combat, so having to stay away from their swords would be no problem. However, the application of magic to swordplay was a relatively unknown discipline, and therefore discerning its weaknesses was difficult.

The second match of the day took place at five o'clock in the afternoon, the sun beginning to set. The first set of combatants were called to the arena's center: Stellar Blade and Team Veratos. The three chosen from each team walked down to meet the announcer, who would explain the rules.

"So, the theme is knockout! The rules are simple: each combatant has three chances. Exhaust all three, and you are eliminated from the game and cannot return to the field! The objective is, obviously, to knock out the entire opposing team's combatants!" Gran Doma said.

The three combatants from Stellar Blade were Fortus, Soviere, and Alina. Fortus, a tall, lumbering blond haired man, wielded a large greatsword, engraved with magical runes. Soviere was a young man of average height with chestnut-colored hair, carrying a traditional swept-hilt rapier in a scabbard. The last combatant from Stellar Blade was a svelte woman, Alina. She carried a pair of twin katanas, carried in one scabbard, made in a style similar to Rizael's.

"It is an honor to do battle with you, Prince Sorian." the three said, kneeling before him.

"Rise, my friends. Here, in Fiore, and on the field of battle, we are equals in the eyes of Lisiere, goddess of war. Dispense with the formalities, and let us cross swords!" Sorian said.

The crowd once again burst into cheers, and waited in anticipation for the battle to begin. The arena was now a series of rotating rings levitating in the air. By striking one of the nodes along the circumference of the rings, the ring would rotate, flip, or split part, and begin moving around in the air.

"Begin!" Desorak declared.

Sting immediately attacked with White Dragon's White Stigma to immobilize Fortus, but the latter sidestepped Sting with surprising agility, and struck him down into the arena. Chelia attacked with Sky God's Dance, hitting Fortus into a yellow node, flipping the ring, and tossing him down into the abyss below, only to be teleported to the center again. The first out had been dealt by Team Veratos.

"Fortus, no!" Alina said.

Alina flew forward with her attack: Rose Blaze Edge. A storm of glowing rose petals appeared around Sting. As she slashed at him with her katana, the petals caught fire, and homed in on Sting with frightening precision. Sting was thrown off the platform, getting the first out on Veratos. Chelia retaliated with Sky God's Boreas, which Alina deflected, and then allowing Soviere to attack Chelia, only to be intercepted by Sorian.

"Holy Covenant: Judgement of Lisiere!" Sorian said, launching an attack that rained light pillars from the sky, striking Soviere, and also hitting several nodes, causing the arena to contort itself in a manner of ways, taking out Soviere in the process. The score was now seven chances to eight chances.

"What an amazing exchange of attacks! Their speed is unimaginable, and their magic is executed gracefully!" Desorak blared into the intercom lacrima emphatically.

Each time retreated to the edges of the arena, as if to plan their next courses of action. Sorian signaled Chelia and Sting to cover him, as he began to prepare Holy Magic: Ark of Destruction. In his hands, he began to form a blade by concentrating light energy. Meanwhile, Sting activated White Drive, and Chelia activated Godsbane.

"White Dragon's Binding Chains!" Sting said, causing gigantic light-energy chains to surge forth from portals around the Stellar Blades at amazing speeds, only allowing Alina and Soviere escaping, leaving Fortus to take the brunt of the blow, who was unable to move in time.

"Chelia, hit him with everything you've got! I can only hold the chains for little longer!" Sting said, under obvious strain.

"Right! Sky God's Eye of the Storm!" Chelia said, conjuring a gigantic storm made of black winds, homing in on Fortus.

"I will not be eliminated so easily." Fortus said, simultaneously breaking the chains, and splitting Chelia's attack with his sword.

"Bushido: Banishing Blade!" Fortus said, focusing dark energy orbs around his sword, firing them at Chelia and Sting, throwing them both of the arena, and bringing the score to seven to six.

The crowd went wild, as the vicious exchange of attacks was also a display of different colors and lights flying about.

"He's gonna be tough to beat. And I only have one chance left." Sting said, upon being teleported to the arena for the last time.

"Better make it count. Now step back. The spell is ready. Light God's Dirge of Eternity!" Sorian said.

A hush came over the crowd as Sorian began his spell. He created a large hemisphere of written magical spells that began to surround the arena. The words began to glow an array of different colors. Suddenly, they coalesced into lasers, blowing all three of the Stellar Blades off the arena. The score became four to six. With a single attack, Sorian had turned the tables once again, showing the immense magical prowess of the Crown Prince of Elorien.

"That was a truly impressive display of magical power. It would be wise not to underestimate Team Veratos." Gran Doma said.

Chelia, still in Godsbane, managed to get Alina isolated from the rest of her team, and rained down upon her opponent a series of black wind slashes. Alina was caught completely off guard, and struggled to tell Soviere to help her. Soviere attacked Chelia from behind with Sword Magic: Spiral Rain, attacking with blazingly fast strokes of his rapier, charged with magic. Chelia managed to take both of them on, as her Godsbane granted her increased agility. Chelia used Sky God's Spiraling Wheel to push Soviere away while striking Alina out. The score was now three to six, with each Stellar Blade having one chance each.

"Hey, Sorian. I have an idea, but it's a little crazy." Sting said.

"Fire away. I'm somewhat bored with this now. I could use something to change things up a little bit." Sorian said.

Sting explained the plan, and told Chelia to come regroup. The group began charging their magical powers simultaneously, blending the powers of a Dragon Slayer, God Slayer, and the Holy Covenant. The black winds became purified by the light of the White Dragon, and balanced by the Holy Covenant.

"Raid Triad: Celestial Helix!" they said in unison, firing a triple helix beam of azure winds and light that nearly blew a hole in the stands, and destroyed a part of the arena, all the while knocking Stellar Blade out of the Games for good.

The overwhelming of victory of Team Veratos left the judges speechless, and the spectators ecstatic. After the battle, the members of Stellar Blade thanked Sorian and his teammates for the battle, and a wonderful learning experience.

Meanwhile, the Order of Shadows team walked past Team Veratos, smirking at them. The team consisted of Sarina, a curvaceous, snake-eyed woman with tight-fitting snakeskin clothing, and a man wrapped in a red cloak and a pair of crazed eyes full of bloodlust.

"This world will come to an end very soon. And it shall be born anew, amidst a sea of darkness." the man said.

Sorian's eyes widened in shock as he realized that he had come face-to-face with two of the Fallen. He'd known they were free, but he hadn't realized they were participating in the Games. It was much more than a matter of preventing the Order from gaining status. Now it was a matter of the public safety.

From the stands, Team Veratos stood in silence, watching the Order's members completely demolish Floralysium. It was cruel and bloody to watch. Even the audience was disgusted by their actions, and were eager to see the next rounds. Galtea's Hand had decided to withdraw from the Games, out of concern for their members' safety. The judges made no comment on their conduct, as it breached no rule of the Games, although dangerously close to the rules against death, maiming, and meaningless torture.

Every member of Team Veratos felt their stomach turn, as the darkness that lurked the halls of the stadium poisoned the once jovial atmosphere of the Games. A war of godlike proportions was nigh, and they were going to be caught in the middle of it.

Note: Sorry about not being able to update recently. I've been swamped with summer work, and now that my schedule's cleared up, I should be able to get more chapters to you guys more often. I hope you're enjoying the story so far, so please keep reviewing! Thanks!


	17. Elorien - Part II: Hope is in Sight

_Disclaimer: I don't own Fairy Tail or Final Fantasy X._

In Folcor, the shrine of Arakiel lay in ruins. Lorsa was possessed by the Fallen, and almost killed everyone else. The villagers were quick to begin rebuilding their home, and Father Serno sent the group off towards the next shrine.

"The next shrine of the Fallen is in Auroria. Seek out the help of Epheria in the former royal city of Aesine. She will be able to help you." Serno said.

And thus, they set out. Fortunately, they were able to get to Aesine more quickly, as it was accessible by rail, and not as remote as Folcor.

"Farienne, I don't think that simply resealing the shrines is going to be enough." Gray said.

"I think we'll have to destroy the Fallen. There doesn't seem to be any other choice. We barely managed to drive Arakiel off." Wendy said.

"I say we let'em all loose so we can take them all out at once!" Gajeel said.

"Now, now. We must certainly eliminate them, I agree. However, we cannot allow all of them to be free at once." Farienne said.

"Let's leave complicated plans out of this. We need to remember our next target." Rufus said.

"We'll take out every Fallen. I won't allow anyone to suffer and wallow in chaos, or trap his or herself in sadness. I did some research on Aesine with Hibiki. The shrine in Aesine is home to Mazeral the Avaricious. It was said that along with other Fallen, he was spawned from the body of Sin. In the beginning, he was a weak but power-hungry Sinspawn, what we call the Fallen. When the Crusaders of the day sought to fight Sin with its spawn, it assimilated four other Fallen into its body, creating a monster of huge proportions, causing the operation to spiral out of control." Lorsa explained.

"This one might be even more difficult. We're going to have to combine our powers to defeat this thing." Lyon said.

When the train arrived in Aesine, the group felt more at home. The capital of Auroria was more akin to Fiore's cities, albeit much colder. While Lyon and Gray welcomed the frigid air, others donned furs and coats to keep warm. As the group finished taking their things off the train, a young man approached Farienne.

"My Lady Farienne! And Prince Natsu! Do you remember me?" the man said.

"It has been three years since I last saw you, Crown Prince Frien of Auroria." Farienne said pleasantly.

"It is wonderful to see both of you again. I trust that Amalia fares well?" Frien said.

"Your older sister is in good hands. My older brother is taking good care of her. What have you been doing nowadays?" Natsu said.

"I joined the guild Stellar Blade! It was my intention to learn the way of the sword and staff, and when I inherit the throne, to strengthen our army with it. I am still in training, so I could not represent my guild in the Games in Fiore. My father does not approve of violence, having made few changes to the army." Frien said.

Farienne introduced the group to Frien, who invited all of them to stay in the castle and promised to help them in their task.

"So you're looking for the shrine of Mazeral? It's on the family estate, watched over by Stellar Blade. It's more like five shrines connected together." Frien explained.

"I see... That's explained by the story of how it was five Fallen joined together." Gray said.

"It's quite clever, really, if I remember the technique used to seal Mazeral correctly." Rufus said.

"What do you mean, Rufus?" Wendy asked.

"I've seen diagrams of the technique, and heard about it because of this very seal. The Pentagram Barrier of Suaren. Suaren is the God of Magic, who supposedly gave magic to humanity to combat Sin. The shrines are connected in the shape of a pentagram, centered around—" Jura said, before he was cut off by Hibiki.

"Guys, I'm receiving a call from Levy and Cana's group." Hibiki said.

Hibiki's Archive opened a screen that showed Levy and Cana in a hotel room. They explained that they were at Akane Resort. They'd found out two things: first, that a fayth was hidden in a temple in the forest nearby, and that there were three fayth in Elorien.

"We already awakened Yojimbo in Folcor. How's it going on your end?" Natsu said.

"We're going to look in the forest later, when Evergreen is better. She was poisoned pretty badly by Iridia. But Levy received Shiva, who told us about the three fayth in Elorien. She told us about Yojimbo in Folcor, one in Aesine, and one in, 'a place washed by the waves and buried in the earth.'" Cana explained.

"That's really convenient, because we're in Aesine right now! We'll take care of the fayth and the Fallen here." Natsu said.

The call ended, and when Natsu looked up, he saw a large castle carved into the mountain. It appeared that three stone arches converged behind the castle. A winding road lead up to the castle, with a horse-drawn carriage at its base. The group got in and when they made it to the castle, they were led into the conference room. An old man in a tunic and grand, fur-trimmed cape sat at the head of the table.

"King Aerole, it gives me great pleasure to see you again." Farienne said.

"Empress! And Lord Natsu!" Aerole said, getting up from his seat in surprise.

He made his way toward them, and bowed. He stammered over his welcomes many times over, and then asked them why they were here.

"We are looking for the shrine of Mazeral, the Avaricious. And also a fayth that is rumored to be in Aesine." Natsu explained.

Aerole's expression turned into one of displeasure, hesitating before he said, "That place is unholy. I cannot allow the Empress and her comrades to enter the shrine while Mazeral threatens to break free at any moment."

"Sir, this is for the sake of the entire world! With all due respect, this is just like waiting for disaster to come knocking instead of driving it away!" Gray said, while being held back by Lyon.

"My lord, excuse his impulsiveness. We seek to vanquish Mazeral. It has been predicted that the Fallen will be free again, so we have decided to eliminate them our selves. Just allow us to enter the shrine, and the burden of keeping it here will be lifted!" Wendy implored.

The king gasped, and looked at his son, as if to ask him how such people could exist. Aerole was vehemently opposed to violence, and was an honest believer in the eternal suppression of Mazeral would be sufficient. But the activity of Mazeral lately frightened him. He had heard of the quest that the capital had announced, and doubted anyone's ability to eradicate even one of the Fallen, let alone five, as everyone else did. But the chance that the Fallen could be banished was but scintilla of hope. Aerole sighed, and gestured for the guard to show them to the shrine, but held his son back, forbidding him to go.

"I must warn you: there has been a lot of dark magic building up inside the shrine. The three arches aid in keeping Mazeral sealed. If you truly succeed in defeating Mazeral, all of Auroria will be in your debt. We are often looked down up on by neighboring provinces for harboring what they regard as a scourge of the empire." the guard said.

The point of convergence of the three stone arches was the only entrance into the inner sanctum of the shrine. The cavern seemed to be filled with feelings of greed and lust, wrapping around the group. Wendy and Lorsa shivered, and screamed as the entrance was sealed off.

"I suppose there's no turning back." Natsu said.

As they neared the shrine, Natsu lit some of the lanterns that were carved into the walls. Suddenly, the cavern was illuminated from an unknown source. Five stone house-like chambers were centered around a glass-case. A strange but soothing song began to be able to be heard. The voices of women echoed through trough the cavern, and almost seemed to repel the oppressive darkness.

The group split up into pairs or single-person teams to investigate the chambers. Wendy and Gray walked down to the glass case, and discovered the song was heard the best there. Wendy felt the warmth of the lyrics touch her heart, and evoked an almost religious passion within her. The case contained three women wearing what appeared to be insect husks as clothing. The cavern flashed, and when Wendy and Gray could see again, three ethereal women in Aurorian dress appeared floating above the glass case.

"Welcome, righteous maiden, to the lost temple of Remiem. We are the Magus Sisters: Sandy, Cindy, and Mindy. We are the fayth of this cavern." Sandy said.

"Please, I'm not a summoner! We were just looking to restore the fayth in every temple in order to vanquish the Fallen. But, can I ask why you are trapped in this place?" Wendy asked.

"It matters not that you are not a summoner. Only the purest of heart may call upon the fayth and receive their power. As for why we are here... In the years following Sin's destruction eons ago, the people were able to rebuild and remake the world as they pleased. They realized that the terror of Yu Yevon would return if they got ahead of themselves, so they restrained themselves." Cindy said.

"Our temple collapsed, and our statue was transferred here. When the Fallen appeared, the people called upon us to protect them. We sealed them away here, and have persisted to keep Mazeral imprisoned." Mindy said.

"Please, tell us how to defeat Mazeral. I am the Wind Dragon Slayer, Wendy Marvell! With my guild, I am on a journey to destroy the evil that haunts the world!" Wendy said.

"Wendy..." Gray said.

"Such similar words... to Yuna's." Mindy said.

"Indeed, her desire was as pure as yours is, young Dragon Slayer." Cindy said.

"Come, Wendy. Let us bestow upon you our power. Be warned, however, that Mazeral will be free, should you choose to accept our power." Sandy said.

"Wendy never asked for power! We just want to get rid of Mazeral!" Gray said.

"Foolish boy. The only way to defeat Mazeral is by allowing him to be free, so you may destroy him in his true form. To destroy his body's components will allow the head to regenerate his whole body, resulting in an endless battle." Mindy said.

Gray relented, and Wendy said, "If what you say is true, I will gladly accept you into my heart to free the world of the Fallen."

Sandy nodded, and the three sisters became balls of green, blue, and white light that entered Wendy's chest. Wendy almost passed out, but Gray caught her.

"Wendy, are you OK?" Gray asked.

"I'm fine, Gray... It's just I've never had such a power inside me before. But I know I can use it, somehow." Wendy said.

"Wendy, get ready. The lion's awake, and we're in his den." Gray said, letting Wendy stand up.

The group reassembled at the fayth, forming a circle, ready to defend themselves. The chambers shattered, sending shards of stone everywhere. Wriggling clouds of dark energy became visible, and then began to coalesce around the skeleton inside the chamber at the back of the cavern. A gray, pillbug-like creature was attached to the skeleton. It began to become red, as life came back to its body. When it was fully regenerated, it appeared to be a conglomerate of several other beasts, forming its shield-ended arms, the gigantic spine riddled with insect-like arms, and a fleshy flap at the base of its stomach, and massive legs.

The beast roared, and began its attack by loosing a wave of poisonous water from the flap on its body. Farienne, Rufus, Lyon, and Gray used their magic to freeze it, while Gajeel and Natsu began breaking the frozen wall into shards to fire into Mazeral. Wendy cast her support spells on Natsu and the others.

"Fire Dragon's Hellish Fang!" Natsu yelled as he sliced off a part of Mazeral's arm.

Mazeral appeared to be fazed only slightly, but began to gather power around his arm, regenerating it to what it was.

"Damn! If he can regenerate his limbs like that, we'll have to take out the head!" Natsu said.

"Natsu, focus! He's attacking!" Lyon said.

Mazeral swung his arms in a haymaker-fashion, knocking Gajeel and Lyon off of their feet. Wendy attacked with Sky Dragon's Wingbeat, knocking Mazeral onto his back.

"Jura! Unleash your attack now!" Wendy said.

Jura concentrated his power, until his eyes began to glow. He then said, "_Mother of the World, upon thy skin walks an abhorrent being. As blood is spilt upon the soil, take the rage and sadness of the fallen into thyself, and awaken! Destroy my foe in thy wake! Ire of the Earth!_"

Spikes of earth pierced Mazeral down his spine, and a huge ring of earth energy appeared above him. Jura gestured with his hand to launch a beam that seemingly obliterated Mazeral. A huge dust cloud appeared, but the beast's body's shadow could be seen. Suddenly, it began to twitch, and Mazeral's body regenerated once more.

"Damn it! What's it going to take to kill this thing!?" Gajeel roared.

"He _is_one of the Fallen, you know." Hibiki said.

"Snow Magic: Violent Storm!" Eve said, sending a rain of icicles to pin Mazeral down.

"I've bought you some time! Think of a strategy to kill him!" Eve said, until Mazeral knocked him aside with a free arm.

"Eve!" Hibiki cried.

"Wendy, I think you need to summon them!" Gray said.

"Right!" Wendy said.

Wendy concentrated her thoughts on summoning the Magus Sisters from the divine garden of the Farplane in which they resided. Magical flower seeds appeared around her, and they began to sprout into large flower buds. Wendy used her Sky Dragon Slayer Magic to open the buds, allowing the three sisters, Sandy, Cindy, and Mindy to come forth. A praying mantis, ladybug, and bumblebee were the models for their armor.

"Magus Sisters, please! Help us defeat Mazeral! Use your Delta Attack!" Wendy implored.

The sisters nodded, and began to attack. Cindy dissolved space around Mazeral into a void of stars, and Mindy created spheres of energy around each sister. Sandy launched an energy ball at Mazeral, creating a nebula below them. The sisters joined powers, firing a particle burst that exploded upon impact with Mazeral's body, which created even more explosions.

When the dust cleared, nothing remained of Mazeral except his colorless head. The head began to crumble into dust. The entire group beheld their feat in silence.

"I-impossible! You have destroyed one of the Fallen!" King Aerole said from behind them.

They turned around to see the King on his knees in gratitude. Frien also knelt in awe of their power. Now, they knew they had a chance. Five Fallen, albeit weak ones individually, had been defeated simultaneously. The road to peace in the world was paved, and they were simply inlaying it with gold, to gather people to walk alongside them and join their cause. Without a doubt, hope was in sight.

**_Note: I know I'm putting this only after I've written the chapter a while ago, but I just want to apologize for my lack of progress. I've been having a little bit of writer's block, but I do know where I want the story to go. I'm also swamped with schoolwork, so I definitely will not be able to guarantee a chapter a week. Again, I apologize. I'll try to get Chapter 18 up soon, because it's almost done. I appreciate the support for the story so far._**


	18. The Temples - Part II: The War Begins

_Disclaimer: I don't own Fairy Tail or Final Fantasy X._

It had taken them two extra days to get to Akane Resort, because Evergreen was almost completely unable to move. Fortunately. however, by the time they had arrived at the resort, Evergreen was making a recovery, thanks to Lisanna's Nature Goddess form. That night, the group was taking time to nurse their wounds and relax for the time being.

"It was good of Loke to give us rooms at Akane Resort. It's been a long time since we had time to relax." Cana said.

"Cana, remember, we have to go to the forest tomorrow." Lisanna said.

"Let's just relax while we can. Evergreen, how are you doing?" Levy said.

"I'm doing better. I can move around normally, but I may not be able to use my magic until later tomorrow." Evergreen said.

"Then we're in good shape. I wonder what Elfman, Jellal, and Freed are doing." Levy said.

"Probably gambling. They get bored when they try to relax like normal people. I swear, one day, when all the Fairy Tail men are married, they're going to have to settle down. None of us women will have the strength or patience to deal with it when we're all decrepit old crones." Evergreen said.

"Evergreen, you say that like you're a mother giving advice to her daughters." Lisanna said, chuckling.

"Oh shut up!" Evergreen said.

"Let's all head off to bed. We have a big day tomorrow. Look, I'm not even drinking this late at night, so hit the hay." Cana said.

The women went to sleep, the men following the much later in the early hours of the morning. When the women went to get them the next morning, all of them were still fast asleep. Cana became irritated, and decided to smack them all awake. They were all surprised, to say the least, and quickly got ready to depart.

The forest near Akane was forbidden to non-wizards, and a non-wizard had to obtain a permit to enter. The Magic Council had declared it both a nature reserve, and a dangerous magical heritage site. As the group ventured into the heart of the forest, they saw no signs of the ruins of a large temple. However, when Levy discovered a stone with ancient writing on it, they began going in the correct direction. The stone indicated the location of the temple, and issued a warning to travelers should only enter the Cloister if they have no fear.

"If you're a real man, you show no fear!" Elfman declared proudly.

As the group neared the temple, they came upon a stone staircase that led up to a stone platform decorated with broken, whale-like statues. Cana observed that there were little, blue wisps flying about the ruins. The entire place was covered in them, and suddenly, memories surrounding the temple and its caretakers began to be played out in the group's minds.

A young woman in a white and purple kimono-like dress walked barefoot onto the ocean. Coffins decorated by garlands of sea flowers floated in the water below her. As she began to dance on the water's surface, the blue wisps began to circle around her, and pushing up the water beneath her feet. The memory faded as the view fell to the ground and was blurred by tears.

A new memory appeared. Two bald priests were talking.

"It is really quite extraordinary, how gifted a summoner she is. Lady Yuna truly takes after her father, Lord Braska." the younger man said.

"However, it is a pity that she betrayed Yevon, and became a heretic. She denounced the Final Summoning! Preposterous!" the older priest said.

"We must prevent Lady Yuna and her guardians from returning to this temple. At best, we can only hope that Lady Dona or Lord Isaaru can bring us the Calm." the younger priest said, as he walked up the steps to the temple.

The group followed the two priests up to the temple. When the memory faded, they saw a dilapidated stone temple. It had been overrun by vines and plants, and its stone had faded from the reddish color in the memory, to a lifeless bone white.

When the group entered the temple, the statues had eroded, and the priests' quarters had been blocked by fallen rocks. The cloister's door bore an inscription that stipulated that only the fearless and the proud warriors of Spira could enter.

"I'm a real man, so I should go inside!" Elfman said.

"You can go Elfman. I don't think I can handle having another Aeon inside of me. Besides, I'm interested in the inscriptions on the walls of this place. It fascinates me." Levy said.

Elfman ventured into the cloister alone. At first, it was dark, but then flames illuminated the somber hall. The door frame in front of him was barred by a grate of flames. In the flames, Elfman saw Mirajane being hurt by Soul of the Earth, during the Phantom Lord attack. It brought back painful memories, but Elfman trudged through the flame as it seared into his mind. Once he got past it, the pain was over.

"That was odd. I suddenly remembered that." Elfman said to himself.

The hall opened into a larger room, and he encountered a wall of flame. There were barely legible inscriptions on the wall that read, "_Either conquer fear by facing it head on, and banish it forever, or take pride in thy ability to brush it to the side and ignore it. The choice is thine. Only the fayth shall truly test the summoner in the end._"

"Master Makarov taught us to face our fears, and not to simply ignore them! The guilt and sadness of those fears will never go away if we don't confront our fears, like real men!" Elfman said, plunging into the wall of flame.

After a moment, Elfman emerged on the other side of wall unscathed. The flames dissipated in his wake. Elfman ventured forward into the antechamber, where the door to the fayth lay. The door opened, and he saw a glowing case containing a statue of a warrior with a gigantic claw the color of scorched land. It was similar to what Levy had described after emerging from the cloister in the temple near Sauder. Suddenly, the chamber flared with the energy of a flame, and a warrior clad in a violet shirt and tan trousers and silver armor on top appeared.

"So, you are the summoner who conquered the Trials after so many eons." the fayth said.

"Yes, and I guess you're the fayth of this temple?" Elfman said.

"Yes. I am Ifrit, the Demon of Hellfire. Your resolve is admirable. I felt your pain generated by the flames of the trials. You have endured much on the behalf of others. I applaud you, warrior. However, I sense that you worry over a conflict greater than the threat posed by Sin. Shall I endow you with my power, and join it with yours?"

"If it will give me the power to protect others, then yes." Elfman said.

"Promise me that you will cleanse this world of the evil that haunts it now. We, the fayth, desire rest. Though the lover of Lady Yuna gave us this in the final battle with Yu Yevon, this new evil robs us of the slumber we received." Ifrit said.

Elfman nodded, and then Ifrit pressed his hand to Elfman's chest, and suddenly Elfman saw a beast with a mane of fire and claws and horns the color of burned land. He then left the cloister, and went to rejoin the others. He told them how he received the fayth, and attained a new power that felt like a flame burning inside of him. Suddenly, the temple began to shake, so the group went outside to see what was happening.

Suddenly, they saw a blue serpent-like mass hit the ground. It writhed around on ground, and when it raised its head to the sky, it shot out a blue beam from its mouth.

"What is that? A dragon?" Cana said.

They heard a roar that was all too familiar. A dragon that had almost wiped the Tenrou Team off the face of Earthland. Acnologia was flying toward the temple at full speed. It was a battle between dragons.

"_Humans! If you wish to live, you will help me defeat this pest!_" the blue dragon said into their minds.

"A pest?! The most powerful dragon to date, and he calls it a pest?!" Levy said.

"_I am Leviathan, Lord Dragon of the Oceans, and one of the most ancient that remains today, a near equal with Bahamut, the Creator. Acnologia is the bastard born out of the wedlock of war and greed. I could have defeated him easily had we crossed paths many years ago, but now he receives aid from the Order of Shadows. He has a master. Now, look forward! The dragon comes!_" Leviathan said.

Acnologia landed on the platform where the group had experienced the memories surrounding the temple. Suddenly, Acnologia's eyes dilated, as if it were undergoing the same experience the group had earlier. Leviathan took this opportunity to strike, and fired another beam at Acnologia's neck.

Lisanna transformed into her Vestige of Mavis Vermillion form, granting her the namesake's abilities to a limited extent, and also the ability to fly. Alongside Evergreen, she took flight, raining down Fairy's Ark: Wrath of the Feymarch, letting loose beams of green light to disable Acnologia's wings.

Levy decided to put her newfound power to use, gathering Shiva's power, and transformed. She became a blue-skinned woman with a long flowing cloak, that covered her scantily covered body, though she was still recognizably Levy.

"Heavenly Strike!" Levy said, sending a block of ice down upon Acnologia's head.

Acnologia was actually having trouble defending himself against their attacks, having been weakened by the influx of pyreflies. However, once the visions ended, Acnologia retaliated with swipes of his talons, sweeping Lisanna and Evergreen out of the sky. Cana caught them using her Card Magic: Lover's Embrace. Levy continued firing blasts of ice magic at Acnologia, supported by Leviathan using a combination of beam attacks and floods of water.

Meanwhile Elfman looked on as the Fairy Tail women held their own, as he was unable to find an opening without hindering them. He felt helpless, and unable to live up to the promise he had made to Ifrit. He decided that it would be now or never if he was going to help his comrades.

"Take Over Magic: Aegis of Ifrit!" Elfman said, as his body was consumed by flames, casting a bright light over the landscape covered in the blanket of dusk.

When the flames subsided, what emerged was a beast with a mane that was red as fire and long horns and claws that were a deep black. Elfman roared, and attacked with a ball of fire created from his mouth and slammed it with his hand against Acnologia's chest, an attack called Meteor Strike.. Acnologia roared with rage, and retaliated by slamming the ground with immense force and creating a ripple in the earth.

Elfman dodged it, and allowed Levy to continue her onslaught of ice magic from behind the vicious dragon. She prepared a powerful spell, first by spreading ice magic over Acnologia, who continued to struggle against Evergreen and Lisanna, who then got out of range of Levy's attack. She then charged a sphere of even more powerful ice magic, that was like a widespread beam attack, that covered Acnologia in its grasp.

As she snapped her finger, Levy said in a cold, layered voice, "Diamond Dust."

Evergreen, Lisanna, and Leviathan withdrew from the fray, to see if Acnologia had given up. Acnologia had slumped to the ground, and was visibly exhausted, as well as irritated. The one vestige of humanity the dragon had was hatred, anger and the intent to raze and kill.

"He's going to attack again!" Lisanna said, grabbing Evergreen and Levy, who had reverted to her original form, having exhausted her magic power.

Acnologia prepared to fire a beam from his mouth, and Elfman saw this. He rushed forward while Leviathan also prepared to retaliate. Elfman leaped into the air, and threw two balls of flame, that created a column of fire that launched Acnologia into the sky. Elfman then shot another ball of fire at Acnologia from his mouth, engulfing Acnologia in a burning sphere. To inflict the final blow, Elfman tore a piece of the earth and threw it at Acnologia, piercing the dragon's chest and tearing off his arms, spilling black blood on the earth.

The blood dissipated into the same wisps that flitted about the temple, as did Acnologia, bursting into black and red wisps. Acnologia had been slain, but only with the help of a dragon. The group was exhausted from the battle.

Leviathan said, "_It has been some time since I have seen Ifrit summoned to battle. Not since the days when Lord Bahamut fought alongside High Summoner Yuna. I commend you, wizard of Fairy Tail_."

"Thank you, Lord Leviathan. But tell us, why were you fighting Acnologia? He's the most feared dragon in the world!" Elfman asked.

"_I crossed paths with him as I was watching over my domain, and he attacked. I could not allow him to harm the people, so I drove him here, to alleviate the destruction._" Leviathan replied.

"I don't get it, what is Acnologia's motive? He was human at one point, right?" Evergreen said.

"_Acnologia, as you may now, is the result of a man who bathed in the blood of dragons, and imbibed the very essence of death and destruction. He was known as Seymour Guado during my younger days, when Lady Yuna fought against Sin. As a child, he hated the world that despised his very existence, being the child of a male Guado, a now extinct race, and a human woman. He came to believe that it was this world that had taken away his mother, who had become a fayth for one of the Aeons._" Leviathan said.

"So he thought that it was a good idea to try and kill everyone?!" Cana said incredulously.

"_It is not as simple as a hatred for humanity. Seymour eventually grew out of this hatred, but his view of the world became twisted, and came to the conclusion that life was a cage of suffering, and hateful agony. It is for this reason, he sought to wield Sin as his sword to free the world from what he believed was an endless cycle of death. However, Lady Yuna and her comrades destroyed Seymour once and for all, inside of Sin. Or so they thought_." Leviathan explained.

"That would mean the Order has found a way to revive people from the dead. And that means a potentially invincible army of wizards at their disposal." Levy said.

"_There is no known method, even to the dragons, to bring the dead back from the Farplane, the resting place of the dead. Igneel is the only one who would know. However, because of the Order's magic, we cannot assume that Seymour is vanquished; indeed he may be still alive, and must gather his being again._" Leviathan said.

The group decided to return to Akane Resort, while Leviathan departed to seek out Igneel's help. With a new threat on the Order's side, it was becoming abundantly clear that a war of godlike proportions would take place, and Fairy Tail was caught in the middle of it.

**_Note: So hopefully, that was kind of an interesting twist on Acnologia's background, considering it hasn't really been elaborated upon yet. I hope that you all are enjoying the story, as Fairy Tail encounters new trials to face. I probably won't be able to update for another week, because of schoolwork, but I will do my best to get another chapter up as soon as possible._**


	19. The Combatants Gather for Battle

_Disclaimer: I don't own Fairy Tail._

The Ambassador's Residence in Magnolia was almost silent. The wind blew through the open windows of the house. The only other sound were the sounds of small children at play.

Lucy d'Elorien, wife of Natsu d'Elorien, the second prince of the Empire of Elorien, sat quietly in the parlor. Her two children, Braska and Celesta played with their toys on the floor. Capricorn and Virgo watched over their mistress and her children with solemnity.

Lucy wore a concerned look on her face. The last time she had heard about her husband and the other Fairy Tail wizards' whereabouts was from Jellal three days prior. The Games were well underway, as that day was the fifth day of the tournament. It would last four more days, and she hoped that the threat of the Order of Shadows would be vanquished by then. But somehow she knew that anything Fairy Tail was involved was rarely that simple.

Just then, there was a knock at the door. Virgo went to the door, and informed Lucy that Juvia had come to visit.

"Let her in, Virgo. I could use the company." Lucy said quietly.

Virgo nodded, and opened the door. Juvia walked in, with her daughter Glacia clinging to the folds of her mother's dress.

"Lucy! How are you doing?" Juvia said in a bright voice that filled the house.

"I'm fine, Juvia. My days are occupied looking after my little ones while, 'holding down the fort,' at Fairy Tail, as it were. At the last board of directors meeting, I told them I would abdicate five years after my husband's return from the Grand Magic Games." Lucy said.

"I see... Glacia is going to heading off to school in two months. Lisanna taught her to read already, so she'll be ahead of the class. My unborn child won't be due for a while, though." Juvia said.

"That's good... But, Juvia, tell me: have you been feeling a sort of mystical presence around town?" Lucy asked.

"Now that you mention, sometimes, when I take a walk out at night, I feel as though I see a woman in a violet dress with flowers on it. She wanders around the canal. It's as if she's looking for something." Juvia said.

Lucy nodded, and then got up to go make tea in the kitchen for Juvia and herself, and hot chocolate for Glacia. Juvia followed Lucy to the kitchen, while Glacia sat with Braska and Celesta playing on the floor.

"Doesn't it worry you that something's happening to Gray right now?" Lucy asked Juvia.

"Of course it does. But I know I have to be strong for my children, because if Gray doesn't come home, someone has to be there for them." Juvia said.

There was a long silence. Suddenly, it was broken by a knocking at the door. Virgo said she would answer the door, but Lucy insisted she would do it herself. When Lucy opened the door, and there was a woman. Her pleated dress was the color of violets, decorated by a single design of a branch of cherry blossoms. Her white sash across her chest and around her neck was bound by a golden, intricately designed bow covering her stomach. Her white sleeves separated from her sash were long and were finished by a fade into a lavender color.

"Are you all right?" Lucy said.

"I know you can bring us together again... Please don't let Tidus suffer..." the woman said, before passing through Lucy's chest.

Lucy felt something occupy her soul, as if a wounded heart had taken refuge inside of her. Lucy put her hand to her heart, and felt a great presence inside of her. While taking on the heart's sadness, Lucy also acquired a sort of power.

"Lucy, who was it?" Juvia said, coming out of the kitchen.

"It was no one. Probably some kids playing some prank." Lucy said.

Juvia stayed with Lucy well into the afternoon, and went home only around five o'clock in the evening. Lucy retired to her bedroom, and had Virgo watch Braska and Celesta. As Lucy sat on her bed, she tried to reach inside of herself, to communicate with the woman that had taken refuge inside of her. Eventually, she heard the woman whisper to her.

"_Forgive me for entering without invitation._" she said.

"_It's no trouble. But tell me, what were you saying earlier?_" Lucy said inside her mind.

"_I must first tell you how I came to be here. My name is Yuna, bringer of the Eternal Calm. Alongside my guardians, eons ago, I fought against Sin to stop the carnage left in its wake. As a summoner, I was to journey across Spira, acquiring each Aeon to train to receive the Final Aeon. The Final Summoning, however, came at a price: my life and the soul of my Aeon being taken over by Yu Yevon, suspending Sin's rampage for a mere two years._" she said.

"_So you're the legendary summoner? Does that mean you can help us defeat the Order of Shadows?_" Lucy asked.

"_I have heard of this Order while my soul wandered the streets of your city. However, allow me to continue my tale. At the start of my journey, I met a young man named Tidus. He claimed to be from Zanarkand, the city of legendary machina and prosperity. He was cheerful, optimistic, and changed my outlook on the practice endorsed by the Church of Yevon. He taught me that it wasn't my duty to dedicate myself to the world, and that it was my decision to lead my life the way I wanted to. It was my story, and no one could change that. I fell in love with him, but there was no way I could tell him about the price my pilgrimage exacted from me at its end, without my heart breaking._" Yuna said.

"_Why didn't you tell him? If you loved him, you should have told him so. Even in death, I think it would be painful to separated from your lover. I know how it feels to be apart from them._" Lucy said.

"_I can tell from the way your heart bears the scars of love and loneliness. As it turned out, he found out on his own, and I couldn't bring myself to apologize. Instead of being angry, he took me in his arms and kissed me. I felt like I wasn't alone in holding up my burden. I imagined that I could be with him until we died. But after the battle with Yu Yevon, he vanished, because he was a part of the dream that Yu Yevon had kept in existence. I wasn't willing to let him go, but like any blissful dream, he dissipated in my hands. The only remnant of him I had were the two children I bore by him. I was unable to raise them without him, and I eventually lost my will to live. I died, leaving them alone._" Yuna said.

"_But I don't understand. What does it mean now?_" Lucy asked.

"_I wandered the world as it changed around me. I never went to the Farplane, the resting place of the dead. No one performed the sending for me. However, I recently felt Tidus' presence around this place. But my heart was torn, and I was beginning to be unable to sustain my existence. And so I was led to take shelter in your heart, Lucy._" Yuna said.

"_Well, all I can do is keep you in my heart until we find him then. I'll help you find Tidus_." Lucy promised.

"_You would help me?_" Yuna asked.

"_Of course. I couldn't stand by when someone was in pain like you are._" Lucy replied.

"_Your heart is most kind, Lucy._" Yuna said.

"_Thank you. But, first, where do we begin to look?_" Lucy asked.

"_There is no need to look any further. I have already found him. When I found him again, he was inside another man's heart as well. A man with rose-colored hair, with the same heroic and cheerful attitude Tidus had._" Yuna said.

(Scene Shift: The Grand Magic Games, the Fifth and Final Day of the Tournament)

The crowd cheered as the Grand Magic Games neared its conclusion. The remaining Elorien and Fiore guilds had been eliminated, mostly through sabotage by the Order. The final battle of the Games was to be a three-on-three battle between Team Veratos and the Order.

Mirajane, Erza, and Rogue had been chosen to represent Team Veratos. On the other side, Sarina, Iridia, and Arakiel assembled to fight against them. It would be a difficult battle, fighting against a cruel person such as Sarina, and two Fallen, in the flesh.

The noonday sun blazed high above the arena, a simple gladiatorial colosseum. The combatants on each side slowly walked out to meet each other, before the announcer began the match.

"People of Elorien and Fiore, are you ready for the final match of this year's Grand Magic Games?!" he shouted excitedly.

The crowd went up in an excited uproar. Down on the field, the combatants prepared to fight. Both knew it wasn't going to be an ordinary fight, and readied their most powerful magic. There was a brief silence after the announcer gave the signal to begin.

"Prepare to die, Fallen scum!" Rogue said, launching Shadow Dragon's Talon of Destruction at Arakiel.

Arakiel jumped out of the way and fired his Ruinous Breath attack. A black and silver rain fell upon Rogue, but he dodged out of the way. In the attack's wake, however, was a hole in the ground. Rogue became wary of Arakiel, a truly erratic fighter.

"Stealth Magic: Cold Bindings!" Sarina said, causing dark, ice covered ribbons to surround and bind Mirajane.

"Satan Soul: Sitri!" Mirajane said, transforming into a blue-cloaked demoness and breaking free from her binds.

Erza rushed forward in her Requip: Lightning Empress Armor. She charged her spear with lightning and struck at Sarina with it, throwing her against the wall. Sarina emerged, almost as if it were just a smack to the face.

Then, Iridia went forward to attack with her Ark of Catastrophe: Despair. A black orb enveloped Rogue, and suddenly, he was plunged into a nightmare. The greatest fear in his heart rose to the surface: killing Sting and allowing Frosch to die, becoming the heartless man Future Rogue was.

Meanwhile, Erza went to fight against Arakiel. She Requipped her Robe of Yuan, and with a single stroke, was able to fling the Harbinger of Ruin into the ground.

"As powerful as you may be, you are still a flimsy, weak creature!" Erza yelled, inciting the cheers of the crowd.

"Lord Arakiel, you must get up! The new world order is at stake!" Sarina yelled.

"Keep silent, and fight me, filthy wench." Mirajane said coldly as she lunged at Sarina with Darkness Magic: Mortal Sickle.

Sarina was actually caught off guard by the sudden bloodlust of a seemingly calm and sweet woman she had seen at the Fairy Tail guild. It seemed impossible that she could harbor such dark power. Suddenly, Sarina was clawed across the face into the wall. A slight spurt of blood leaked from her scalp.

"Mira, calm down! We can't afford to be disqualified!" Erza said.

"Don't worry. She's not dead. Just unconscious." Mirajane said.

"Truly useless girl. It amazes me how Lord Riamat had a use for her." Iridia said.

"Iridia, Lord Riamat has given the signal!" Arakiel said.

Iridia nodded, and suddenly the sky began to darken. Her hand became surrounded by black wisps and she then created a large black glyph on the arena floor. Arakiel began opening a portal in the sky, which grew larger with every second.

"_Erza, we must end this now! Winning doesn't matter anymore! Rizael has told me that Riamat has left the arena. The Fallen are attempting to create as big a portal as possible by themselves, because five Fallen have been destroyed. The Lord of the Fallen is going to be awakened! We must evacuate the people! Sorian and Rizael went after Riamat, so take care of things here!_" Makarov said to Erza telepathically.

Erza's eyes grew wide in terror, and then screamed, "Everyone, it isn't safe anymore! You must evacuate the stadium now!"

The crowd understood immediately, and people began scrambling for the arena's exits. Erza and Mirajane attempted to slow down the growth of the portal by negating the dark energy with light energy. When Rogue finally broke free, he activated his Shadow Dragon Mode, and began taking in as much of the dark energy as possible to stanch Iridia's glyph from growing more powerful.

However, in the corner of Rogue's eye was a familiar sight. It was a terrible thing, something that he'd rather forget. A large dragon with blue markings across its body descended into the arena. Acnologia had arrived. However, once he landed, the dragon began to disintegrate into black and red wisps, that re-coalesced into the form of a man. He wore a long and ornate set of robes, colored dark blue, with red trimmings. Around his waist was a tied green sash, and he held a long staff topped with an intricately designed emblem.

"How long has it been since I walked this earth in my human form? Almost a thousand years?" he said.

"Who are you? What do you want?" Rogue said curtly.

"How rude of me to not introduce myself. I am Seymour Guado, former Maester of Yevon. I will be this world's savior and plunge it into destruction, to free it from the spiral of death."she said.

(Scene Shift: The Catacombs Underneath Crocus)

Rizael ran through the tunnels underneath the capital city, chasing Riamat. Sorian was close behind him. Riamat had clearly set everything up from the start. Rizael realized Riamat was planning on reviving the Lord of the Fallen when the fayth-revival group reported in after obtaining Ifrit. However, he didn't realize that Riamat was willing to take the world by force if he couldn't have the people on his side.

"Riamat, this is madness! You will only get yourself killed in this idiocy!" Sorian said.

"If that is what it will take for the world to be born anew, I shall gladly give my life!" Riamat said.

When the the three reached a large chamber below the stadium, Riamat stopped. He pointed to his right, showing a dilapidated arch.

"Seeing as how your group will not be able to stop me, I will tell you my plan. I will use the now broken Eclipse Gate to enter the new vessel of the Lord of the Fallen, and he shall wield me as his sword that will raze the world!" Riamat said, with lunacy slipping into his voice.

Rizael said, "Riamat, you must realize that the Lord of the Fallen was sealed away for a reason! He will not consider you an ally, but a dispensable tool! He wishes for nothing but complete destruction. He will not remake the world!"

"Join us, and let's stop this before it gets out of hand." Sorian said.

Sorian tried to step forward to apprehend Riamat, but Rizael stopped him and said, "Sorian. Send for the others, and tell them to meet in the arena. I will handle this myself. Make sure to fetch the fayth-revival group and the group going after the Fallen. We'll need them here as fast as possible."

Sorian nodded, and used his Holy Covenant to teleport from the catacombs. Only Rizael and Riamat remained in cavern.

"Will the Emperor of Elorien try to stop me? You come from a powerful lineage, to be sure. However, your own ancestor was a dream!" Riamat said.

"How do you know about Tidus...? My existence may be woven in part from a dream, as are those of my sons, and my wife as well... But I will not stand by while you toil to extinguish Tidus and Yuna's legacy! They brought us this Eternal Calm, and I intend to perpetuate it!" Rizael said.

Rizael's eyes began to glow blue. Blue and white wisps seeped from his body, revealing his part-fayth and part-human blood.

"So the descendant of a dream seeks to prolong his forefather's reverie? It saddens me to tell you this, but no dream is meant to be eternal! Even now, his dream is not complete. He is separated from his lover. Tidus' very soul resides within your youngest son! How can you let their suffering continue? Your son will be burdened with carrying the heart of another, and your ancestor separated from his love!" Riamat said.

"You suggest that I murder my son? How dare you!" Rizael said, going forth to end Riamat.

(Scene Shift: The Ambassador's Residence in Magnolia)

Lucy felt her stomach turn as she felt evil forces brewing. Yuna had told her that Natsu held Tidus' soul inside of him.

"How ironic that they are separated, because they live inside of us..." Lucy said to her self.

Just then, Leo appeared before Lucy.

"Lucy... We need to go. The Celestial Spirit King is sensing a great disturbance around the Eclipse Gate. It's as if someone is trying to use it again." Leo said.

"What?" Lucy said in surprise.

"_Lucy, he's right. I also sense a dark presence to the north of here. I thought I had performed the sending, so that he would never return. But perhaps this is fate... We must go._" Yuna said inside of Lucy.

Lucy was surprised, and also at a loss. While she could leave her children with Virgo or Juvia, she didn't know what she would do once she arrived in Crocus. She didn't even know how she could get there in time.

"_Lucy... Concentrate your power and invoke the name of Valefor, the Phoenix of the Sky. She was the first Aeon I received, and the only one I can still summon. But now that I have passed my power on to you, you must summon her. She will take us north._" Yuna said.

Lucy then left Magnolia, and began trying to focus her magic power. As she meditated, the image of a large bird-like creature appeared. Lucy then released her magic power, and then a glyph appeared in the sky. Suddenly, a something broke through it, and the bird-like creature from her meditation appeared. It landed next to Lucy, and towered over her, almost giving her a wary stare.

"Valefor...?" Lucy said, put her hand to its beak.

Valefor then gestured for Lucy to get onto her back by setting down her wings. When Lucy was settled, Valefor took off at amazing speed.

As she flew toward the capital city, she saw dragon wings emerging above the clouds alongside her. A red dragon, black and gray dragon, and white dragon appeared. Below her, a large black dragon with red, blue, and yellow trimmed wings rose. Suddenly, they began speaking telepathically.

"_So this is the woman harboring Lady Yuna's soul...?_" the white dragon said, introducing herself as Grandeeney.

"_She demonstrates a large amount of magical power, doesn't she?_" the black dragon said, calling himself Metalicana.

"_So you are Natsu's bride...? A truly beautiful woman, you are. And I sense that you have a pure heart as well. I am Igneel, Natsu's adoptive father_." the red dragon said.

Lucy's eyes widened, as she came face to face with the dragon Natsu had grown up with. She had heard only legends about Igneel, but she'd never imagined that the dragon was so noble.

"Tell me! Why are you flying to Crocus?" Lucy said above the loud wind.

"_Because Lord Rizael has called us to his side. He needs our help in the coming battle. Prepare yourself. Natsu is also on his way to Crocus. We will meet him there._" the black dragon said, who was called Bahamut. Lucy looked forward, knowing that a long battle was ahead of her.

**_Note: Yes, I know. This chapter wasn't as good as my other ones. Hopefully, with the climax, the story will be rounded out. I'm sorry I wasn't able to update last weekend. I got busy. The next chapter will be the climax of the story, and I will start writing an epilogue to this story afterward. Thanks again for the support!_**


	20. What Lies at the End of the Journey

_Disclaimer: I don't own Fairy Tail or Final Fantasy X._

(Scene: The Crocus arena, where Iridia and Arakiel are opening the portal to bring forth the vessel of the Lord of the Fallen.)

Erza, Mirajane, and Rogue kneeled on the ground before Seymour, completely exhausted. They had nearly no magic energy left, and Rogue had the feeling Seymour could easily crush them if he so wished.

"Long ago, the High Summoner Yuna sent me to the Farplane as I was going to take control of Sin to liberate the world from the spiral of death. Now, one thousand years later, I have regained my strength. I will make a new Sin, and become it! I will wield the darkness and save this world from sadness, misery, and hate." Seymour said.

"You should have stayed there!" Rogue said, attempting to punch Seymour, who simply sidestepped him, and stabbed his arm with his staff.

Iridia and Arakiel bowed at Seymour's feet, praising his return. Seymour smiled, and then picked up Arakiel by his neck.

"You will sacrifice your existence to my cause... You will become a part of my vessel." Seymour said quietly.

Arakiel's body convulsed and burst into black wisps, which Seymour absorbed, using his staff. Iridia willingly offered herself to Seymour, who underwent a similar destruction to Arakiel. Erza's eyes were wide with terror, as she saw Seymour approach her and picked up Erza by the neck.

"You won't get away with this! Even if I die, the others will stop you!" Erza said.

"Your hope is admirable. Even in the face of despair, you put up a false barrier against that which oppresses you." Seymour said.

As Erza felt her energy beginning to be drained, she saw Seymour consumed in a gust of wind. She fell out of his grip, and her energy returned. She turned to one of the entrances to the arena, and saw a relieving sight.

"Wendy!" Erza said.

Standing in the arch was Wendy, with Natsu, Gajeel, Farienne, and the rest of the Fallen-pursuit team. Wendy, Eve and Gray went to attend to Rogue. Lorsa and Farienne joined Erza against Seymour, while Gajeel, Jura, and Lyon helped Mirajane.

"Mother, Hibiki, Rufus and I are going to go help Father!" Natsu said.

"Go quickly! Find your brother as well!" Farienne said.

Seymour got up after being hit by Wendy's magic, and said, "So your allies will join you in your fruitless fight against me? So be it."

Seymour began to walk toward the glyph planted by Iridia. He held his hand over it, and the glyph began to glow an ominous purple color. The portal in the sky opened, and from it descended a whale-like figure. It was enormous and cast a shadow that darkened almost all of Crocus. However, one could see that it was not alive. Anything that might have moved did not. It was as if it were a gigantic husk, colored as though it were alive.

"Behold! Is it not marvelous? The vessel of Yu Yevon: Sin! I forged it from the memories of those killed in its wake to recreate it from the pyreflies. I will now take it as my vessel, and control the land once known as Spira!" Seymour declared grandly.

With that, Seymour created a luminescent staircase leading up to Sin's body. As he disappeared from view, the stairs faded. Everyone stood around, wondering what to do.

"We need to go after Seymour! He'll destroy Earth Land at this rate! You saw what he did to the Fallen without even flinching!" Lorsa said.

"But we have to remember: Sin is an entity separate from Seymour. We'll have to destroy them both." Mirajane said.

"He said that he recreated Sin's body from the memories of those on the Farplane, right? We'd need to eliminate all memory of Sin." Jura said.

"There's no known way to eliminate memories, as far as I know. Especially those of the dead. Memory Make only copies memories, but doesn't destroy them." Farienne said.

As the group continued to contemplate a plan, Gray said, "Guys, look up! There's something coming!"

From the southern skies, five figures came into view. Four appeared to be dragons, while the fifth looked like a sort of bird. As the group came in closer to land, they saw someone riding the bird-like creature. As the bird set down, a woman with blond hair wearing a long white dress stepped down.

"Lucy? What are you doing here?" Gray said.

"Leo told me there was a disturbance around the Eclipse Gate. I came to check it out for myself. I left the children with Juvia. But tell me, what's going on? What's that thing in the sky?" Lucy said.

Suddenly, Lucy began to glow and then a woman stepped out of her body like it was a room. Pyreflies circled around her, indicating that she was dead.

"Lady Yuna!" Farienne said in a hushed voice.

"So you are one of my descendants in this era...?" Yuna said listlessly.

Yuna looked up to the sky and her face became serious.

"I never thought I would see that horrid thing ever again. It can only mean that Seymour Guado has returned from the Farplane. Am I correct?" Yuna said.

"That is correct, my Lady. Seymour plans to use Sin as his vessel to destroy the world. But we don't know how to destroy Sin permanently, so that it will never be in the people's memory for Seymour to create it again." Farienne said.

"There is only one person I know who knows of a way to banish a soul forever. And she exists inside Sin now. She departed after Sin was defeated, hoping to join her son on the Farplane. However, her fayth wanders inside of Sin, a vestige of Seymour's humanity. Follow me. We are going beneath this place. We must go see Seymour Guado's mother." Yuna said.

(Scene Shift: The Catacombs Underneath Crocus)

Natsu, Hibiki, and Rufus ran through the tunnels, having received word from Sorian to meet in the Crocus Catacombs. Natsu, since destroying Mazeral, had felt something stirring inside of him. It was as though someone was inside of him, guiding him.

"_Kill Seymour... He needs to be stopped... I can't let Yuna suffer anymore... She's still waiting for me..._" a young man's voice said.

Natsu knew who Yuna was, but he didn't know of any specific person attached to the High Summoner. Also, ever since coming to Crocus, Natsu felt like there was something tugging at him. At the very core of his existence, he felt that some part of him didn't belong.

Sorian had told him that Seymour Guado had returned, and that Riamat was planning on submitting himself to the man as his weapon. When Natsu arrived at the bottom of the cavern, he saw his father engaged in combat with Riamat.

Rizael lunged at Riamat, attempting to kill him in one blow. However, Riamat countered with a shield made of darkness. Riamat then stepped back, toward the Eclipse Gate. Riamat let magic energy flow into the broken arch, and created a vortex, which he stepped into.

"I never thought that we'd have to face the dream ever again..." Rizael said.

"Face what?" Natsu said behind him.

Rizael turned to Natsu, and Rizael's face became sad.

"You and your brother been feeling it recently, haven't you? As though someone is tugging at a part of your being?" Rizael said.

"Father, what does it mean?" Sorian asked.

"I meant to keep it hidden until you inherited the throne. It was meant to be a secret, that only you would know. But now, I must tell you both. Many years ago, the High Summoner Yuna bore two children shortly after Sin's destruction. She died out of despair, having lost her lover in defeating Yu Yevon. We are descended directly from those children, and by extension, Yuna and her husband." Rizael said.

"Who is her husband? Father, since my group killed Mazeral, there's been this feeling as though somebody is inside of me. He keeps telling me how Yuna can't suffer anymore, and that she's waiting for him." Natsu said.

"So he's inside of you, then... Natsu, you are harboring a man named Tidus' soul. He was the husband of the High Summoner, and for some reason, he has returned to the world of the living. Listen carefully, and you will hear his voice." Rizael said.

Hibiki, Rufus, Sorian, and Rizael stared Natsu as he close his eyes, concentrating. Natsu dug deep into his heart, looking for another's presence. Suddenly, he saw a young man with blond hair and tanned complexion floating in the ocean of his soul. He wore sort of overall-shirt with a yellow and white hood and shirt. His shorts were strange: one leg was longer than the other. On his left arm, he had a gauntlet and shoulder pad.

"_So you're one of my descendants, huh? You're a little like me, when I was alive._" Tidus said.

"_Why are you hiding inside of me right now? Why do you need to be in the world of the living?_" Natsu said.

"_It's my duty to the world to never let what happened to Spira happen ever again. Spira was almost wiped out. As I understand, what I call Spira, you call Earthland. I made a promise to Yuna that I would never let her down. I wanted to make the world a safe place for us to be together, but it all went to hell, when I found out that I was just a dream that the fayth had summoned._" Tidus said.

"_I'm sorry it turned out that way... But without that happening, I might not be person I am today, and I'm grateful for that. Now, I need you to help us defeat Seymour. What are we supposed to do?_" Natsu said.

"_We fought Seymour alongside the Aeons. If you have that kind of power, you'll stand a chance. But I don't know... Wait__––__ someone's coming._"

Natsu and the others turned around, and saw the fayth-revival group standing there. And so was Lucy.

"Lucy, what are you doing here? It's not safe!" Natsu said.

"It's OK, Natsu. I'm here because something's wrong with the Eclipse Gate. What's with that portal?" Lucy said.

"It's a portal inside Sin. We must go and find Seymour's mother. She's the only one who can help us obliterate Sin from memory." Yuna said.

"_Yuna's out there! Natsu, I'm coming out! I need to see her!_" Tidus said from inside Natsu.

Natsu convulsed, as Tidus stepped out of him without warning. Tidus and Yuna stared at each other incredulously. Yuna's eyes welled up with tears, as she ran to embrace her lover.

"I found you." Yuna said, sobbing.

Tidus smiled, and the two hugged each other even tighter. Everyone around them looked in solemn, albeit awkward silence. The two lovers separated, realizing the situation.

"Natsu, Lucy... We cannot thank you enough for what you've done for us. All we can do now is return the favor." Yuna said.

"Let's go find him, and pound his face in, again!" Tidus said, sending the entire group up in cheers.

The group then decided to split up into three groups, again. Some of them would go and make sure the townspeople were safe. Others would go and try to start hacking away at Sin's body from the outside, while the the rest went to face Seymour. Yuna and Tidus returned to their mortal vessels, as they could not sustain physical manifestations for long. Natsu, Lucy, Gray, Sting, Rogue, and Mirajane went inside Sin to find Seymour's mother and Seymour himself. Jura, Laxus, Lorsa, Erza, Lisanna, Gajeel, and Wendy took to the air to fight Sin from the outside. The rest dispersed throughout Crocus to check on the townspeople. Hibiki remained in the Catacombs with Makarov, Farienne, Sorian, Rizael and Jellal to monitor every person's position from there. The final battle was now approaching.

(Scene Shift: Inside Sin: The Garden of Pain)

The inside of Seymour's vessel was unlike anything the wizards had ever seen. It was like an endless abyss, illuminated by only by sky at sunset that existed inside the monster's body. Various symbols floated about the space, serving as a pathway. It branched out in many directions, but Yuna and Tidus knew the way.

About three hours into the trek, the group began hearing rumbling noises; the assault on the outside had begun. Then, Lucy and Natsu began detecting another human presence inside Sin through Yuna and Tidus. They came to a darkened branch in the path, with a stone door, which Yuna said looked familiar. She said that it was like the entrance to the Chamber of the Fayth at the Temple at Baaj, a temple she visited eons ago with her companions, such as Tidus.

"_Lady Yuna? Can it really be you?_" a woman's kind voice suddenly echoed.

The door lifted, and inside was a woman in a long purple and black ankle-length dress. Her hair was long, black, and shone like ebony wood. Seymour Guado's mother was a beauty to behold, in contrast to the twisted demon her son was.

"I sense that you are here to defeat my son again... I apologize for what he has done to the world, though it is in part my own fault for twisting him so, with the power I gave him." she said.

"Tell us: what must we do to destroy Sin and Seymour forever? So that he can't return?" Lucy said.

"There is only one way: you must extinguish Sin's body with the power of Anima, the Dark Aeon and defeat my son Seymour at the same time. His existence is irrevocably tied to Sin, and Sin can simply be recreated from the memories of those on the Farplane. Destroy the link my son has to this world, and save it from his wrath once more." Seymour's mother said.

Each of them looked around for someone to receive the Aeon. Sting and Rogue didn't have the power of Second Origin, and therefore could not handle such power. Lucy already wielded too many Celestial Spirits to be able to handle an Aeon in her spirit. Neither Yuna nor Tidus could take the burden, as they were dead, and Natsu could only handle summoning Bahamut, which continually exhausted his energy. Only Mirajane remained, and her title as the Demoness was only fitting.

Mirajane stepped forward, closing her eyes, and allowed her heart to join with Anima's. Mirajane, at that moment began to change into a new form. Her dress became patterned with bloodstained scales, and she grew talons dark as night. Her face was adorned with a hood of bloody rose petals and thorns. She had attained a new Satan Soul: Anima Salvator.

"You guys take care of Seymour. I will return to the outside and help everyone destroy Sin's body." Mirajane said, then departing on wings adorned with black feathers.

The group continued the trek up toward Seymour's dais from which he viewed the world. When the group finally arrived, they were shocked at the grotesque form Seymour had taken. His body was now made of purely magical energy, and his hair had grown into a stone carving that supported his back. His Maester's cloak had become insect-wing-like folds covering his legs.

"So the final battle for the world has begun?" Seymour said.

"You think destroying the world is what's best for everyone? You think that destruction is the only freedom from pain and suffering!?" Natsu said.

"I shall grant what is best for Spira. I will use the force that once caused it so much agony to raze the land, and annihilate the people. On the Farplane, they will rest in eternal sleep, not having to endure the pain and sadness of life." Seymour said.

"We live because we can support each other. Fairy Tail exists to be the house in which a family resides! We live through the tears and laughter, and share in each other's joys and sorrows! Our fate and our needs are not for you to decide!" Lucy said.

"We won't let you destroy this world! My guardians and I fought to let Spira become it! We won't let you ruin that legacy!" Yuna said.

"We stopped you before, and we can do it again! Just because we're not here to do it doesn't mean you won't get a thrashing like last time!" Tidus said enthusiastically.

"By all means, try!" Seymour said.

Seymour set off a series of black lightning bolts around Natsu. Rogue started to drain the darkness from the lightning, so Natsu could absorb the energy and enter Lightning Flame Dragon Mode. Natsu began retaliating with Lightning Flame Dragon's Roar, straight at Seymour.

Seymour parted the wave of energy with his hand effortlessly. In response, Seymour set off an explosion of light energy with his Ultima spell. Sting tried to bear the attack, but resorted to swallowing more light energy than he could handle. To offset this, Sting attacked with White Dragon's Roar. Seymour tried to shield the blow with an energy seal, but it was broken, and Seymour was noticeably damaged, as part of his stone support was broken off.

Rogue began his assault with Shadow Dragon's Crushing Fang. Seymour was thrown upward, but was attacked again by Rogue in Shadow Dragon Mode, sending him plummeting into the dais. Yet, Seymour arose as if the attacks were mere punches and kicks.

"Is this really all this generation is able to do? Then liberating this world shall be easier than I thought." Seymour said, while preparing a deluge of water to flood the dais.

Gray attempted to knock Seymour off balance with Ice Blade: Seven Slice Dance. The attack caused Seymour to bleed pyreflies profusely, but he managed to loose his spell on the group.

"Die, miserable fools, and be free from suffering!" Seymour declared, loosing a gigantic wave on the group.

Lucy quickly summoned Aquarius, who used her vessel to absorb all the water, narrowly saving the group from defeat.

"Guys, buy me some time! I need to prepare a spell!" Lucy said.

Natsu, Sting, and Rogue nodded, and began raining attack after attack upon Seymour. Meanwhile, outside Sin, another battle raged...

(Scene Shift: The Sky Surrounding Sin)

Jellal flew around Sin using Meteor at blazingly fast speeds. And as powerful as he was, much of his Heavenly Body Magic didn't even manage to faze Sin. Jellal had joined the fight four hours earlier, after Sin laid waste to the land east of Crocus, narrowly missing the city. Sin didn't even seem to have felt their attacks. The beast unleashed powerful Gravity Magic on the group, and also was able to nullify Wendy's Vernier and other supporting magic.

"Sky Dragon's Claw!" Wendy yelled, unleashing slicing whirlwinds on Sin's right side.

The attack managed to slice open part of Sin's fin but didn't slow down the monster's onslaught.

"Wendy! Status report!" Hibiki said, trying to contact her.

"Not good! We're putting our all into this, but Sin's not even flinching!" Wendy said, before she was thrown back by Sin moving suddenly toward her.

Erza and Lisanna performed Unison Raid: Wrath of the War Goddess on Sin, raining down a flurry of swords enchanted with Lisanna's magic, managing to pierce Sin's head. However, it responded with its own attack, a punishing laser spell that almost burned Erza and Lisanna to ashes.

"It's like no matter what we do, it just pushes back with something three times as powerful!" Lorsa said, trying to impale Sin with earthen spires from below its stomach.

"We need help! Where's somebody like Mirajane when we need her!?" Laxus said.

"_Jura, there's something flying from underneath Sin toward you! It looks like... Mirajane!?_" Makarov said.

"Quite literally, speak of the devil!" Jura said, as he let loose Rumbling Mount Fuji to help Lorsa from beneath Sin.

Clearly, Mirajane's apperance had boosted morale, as Sin was immobilized by earthen spikes in its belly, causing pyreflies to leak out over Crocus. Wendy and Gajeel's magic finally made significant headway on Sin's sides as well, causing Sin's entire right fin to fall off into the sea near Crocus.

"Everyone, I need you to spread your attacks around the body! From what it looked like inside Sin, Seymour is inside the head! Erza and I will attack there! Now let's show this thing what we wizards are made of!" Mirajane said, empowering all the wizards with her moving words.

Mirajane began her onslaught on, displaying her newly gained power. In her hands, she focused dark energy, channeling the pain she had felt in her life: losing Lisanna, the guild hall's destruction, and the suffering of her fellow guildmates. Therefore, her newest spell was aptly named.

"Anima Dolorosa: Pain!" Mirajane shouted, unleashing the focused energy on Sin's head, leaving an X-shaped scar on its snout.

"Destroyer's Lance!" Erza said, throwing a light-enchanted spear at Sin's head. The blow was so powerful, that it went through the other side of Sin's mouth.

Behind Sin, Gajeel and Wendy were hacking at Sin's lower body. Gajeel used Karma Demon: Iron God Sword to cleave through one side of Sin. Wendy used her Shattering Light: Sky Drill to completely sever Sin's back part from it, which burst into many pyreflies. This disruption served as the last bit of time Lucy needed inside to unleash her spell.

(Scene Shift: Inside Sin: Overlooking Destruction)

"_Survey the Heaven, Open the Heaven..._ _All the stars, far and wide..._ _Show me thy appearance..._ _With such shine._ _O Tetrabiblos... _ _I am the ruler of the stars..._ _Aspect became complete..._ _Open thy malevolent gate._ _O 88 Stars of the heaven..._ _Shine!_ _Urano Metria!_" Lucy said, unleashing her ultimate spell on Seymour.

All the stars and lights in the universe began to converge on Seymour, barraging him with their power. When the blast cleared, Seymour's body was covered in dents into his energy form. Seymour was now angry, and began to ready his own ultimate spell.

"You insolent mortals have angered me for the last time! I will destroy this world! Riamat, come to my side! Become the sacrifice for this world's requiem!" Seymour said.

Seymour produced Riamat from nowhere. Riamat was chained to a circular stone tablet, and his eyes were white. Riamat's body disintegrated into pyreflies and Seymour began gathering them in the palm of his hand.

The group was at a loss as to what to do. They'd exhausted all possible tactics, and Seymour was about to obliterate them with the most powerful spell they'd ever seen. Suddenly, Hibiki sent in a message in their minds.

"_Everyone, get ready! Mirajane and Erza are joining their powers to burst through the remaining portion of Sin! Join your magic with theirs and fight against Seymour's spell! It's the only way to get rid of Sin and Seymour at the same time!_" Hibiki said.

"_But they'll all be killed in the process! Natsu, everyone, I won't let you do this! You aren't just allies, you are my fellow wizards!_" Farienne said desperately.

"Mother, please. This is the only way. I promise you, we'll come back to you alive." Natsu said solemnly.

And then, Mirajane and Erza burst through Sin's snout inside the monster's head, onto the dais. Their fists were joined together with large amounts of magical power swirling around them. Gray, Natsu, Lucy, Sting, and Rogue put in their remaining magic power, and fell upon Seymour with their assault as Seymour unleashed his spell: Requiem for the Lost.

"Universal Raid: Anima Spira!" they shouted as the two spells collided, causing an explosion that engulfed them and Sin.

From the outside, it was like staring at the sun. All the onlookers shielded their eyes from the flash of light. Makarov, Farienne, Rizael, Sorian, and Hibiki, from the Catacombs sealed off the Eclipse Gate to contain the blast, and also tried to erect a shield to protect Crocus and the world from the clash of two titanic spells.

After the blast had subsided, the remains of the coalition against the Order of Shadows looked around for survivors in the vicinity of the explosion. Wendy, Gajeel, and Natsu's family searched for Natsu and those inside Sin. After searching until sunset, the group was nowhere to be found in the city. Farienne was sobbing, and while Rizael and Sorian tried to contain their sadness, they could not hold back the tears. Makarov told them to remain strong, as only one place remained: the arena for the Grand Magic Games.

When they arrived at the arena, the stands were silent, as the crowds were gone. Any vestige of excitement and happiness that might have been in the place was gone. It was deserted. But on the battlefield itself, which was still scarred from the last battle of the Grand Magic Games, were two people standing over several figures on the ground. Yuna and Tidus had saved Natsu, Lucy, Gray, Mirajane, Erza, Sting, and Rogue.

"We had to repay them for what they did for us. We gave the last of our power to pull them out of the blast. We're going to rest on the Farplane, and leave this world in your hands." Yuna said.

"Guard it well, and even with its ups and downs, life is precious. Don't waste it trying to make the world perfect. Spend it with those you love so that when the real end is staring you in the face, you know your life was well spent." Tidus said.

As the two faded into pyreflies, the combined alliance of Fairy Tail, Sabertooth, Lamia Scale, Blue Pegasus, and those from Elorien rushed to embrace their saviors. The battle for the fate of the world was over, and the journey to the past was at its conclusion. It had brought to light many things, and illuminated the newly liberated future for all people in Earth Land.

**_Note: So, that's it for now! I am ending this fanfiction, and in time will be writing an epilogue. It'll be all about Natsu, Lucy, and everyone else's lives following the climactic battle, to please all those people hoping to know about the future that's been, "newly liberated." I hope you all enjoyed the story, and I appreciate your continued support.  
_**


End file.
